Naruto and the Dark Star
by Dunstin
Summary: When Naruto and Team 7 are assigned to a mission to the almost unknown Land of Dunes, all he can think about is being assigned an A-rank mission. However, events soon spiral out of the norm when Naruto and his friends realize that the Land of Dunes is even more twisted than they thought. Soon, Naruto must face his inner demons to stop the ultimate weapon: the Dark Star.
1. Chapter 1- Departure and Juruko

The starlit sky shone brightly through the tinted skylight of Konoha's Main Hall, a sight so lovely that Naruto Uzimake found his attention wavering from what Kakashi Hatake, his sensei, was saying. With a sigh, Kakashi stopped talking, waiting for his young pupil to return to reality.

_The stars, they look so beautiful. How have I not given them my attention before? _Naruto thought to himself. _There's so many, I wonder if anyone has ever tried to count them all? _Suddenly, something flared in one of the corners of the skylight: a single, but pure white, burst of light. _What was that..._

Kakashi was not the only one who had noticed Naruto was distracted. To the young genin's left, his teammate Sasuke Uchiha, gave one of his characteristic glares at the yellow-headed child. _Why can't you just stay focused like me and Sakura? _he thought shrewdly. _When will he just grow up like the rest of us? _ A glance around Naruto caused a small flicker of dissapointment to crawl across his face._Correction; why can't he stay focused like _me _?_

To the left of Naruto was the yellow-headed genin's third teammate, the pink-haired Sakura Hurano. She, like Sasuke and Kakashi, had noticed Naruto was not paying attention to their latest mission. She, unlike Sasuke and Kakashi, did not keep her thoughts to herself. "NARUTO, PAY ATTENTION!" she yelled at him. Her words were accompanied by a fist to his head, sending the boy crashing to the ground. Sakura stood over him, glaring mutinously down at his now curled up body.

"Sakura, what are you doing?!"

"Saving Kakashi sensei the trouble of beating some sense into you!"

Naruto gave a small whimper, then looked back up to the skylight. Any trace of the strange burst of light was long gone. Disappointed, he got himself back on his feet. "Well, I'm paying attention now. Let's hear it, Kakashi sensei."

The older ninja placed a hand over his one visible eye in exasperation. "I already explained the whole mission, Naruto. You didn't catch a _word _of anything I said?"

Naruto thought hard, until his head actually began to hurt. "Uh...no?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Alright, I'll give you the rundown one more time. But after this, you're going to have to ask either Sasuke or Sakura for details. And I know how badly they would want to tell you."

Naruto took a glance at the still furious Sakura, and then at the cool glare of Sasuke, and opted to devote his entire attention to Kakashi this time.

"Now, The Fifth Hokage recently received a message from the Land of Dunes, a small country on our eastern border, asking for assistance in taking care of some rogue ninja bandits that have been hounding their trade caravans. Because the Land of Dunes lacks an official ninja village, they've come to us for help."

"Wait, wait wait!" Naruto interrupted. "You said 'official.' You mean they still have a ninja village?"

"Not quite. Instead of training their own ninjas, the Land of Dunes has opted to take in rogue and missing-nin to try and form their own military. As you can imagine, that hasn't exactly worked out for them quite well."

"They've been taking in _our _traitors, as well as other nation's traitors?" Sakura asked, stunned. "They can do that?"

Kakashi gave his forehead protector a little tug, as if he to was uncomfortable with the notion. "Unfortunately, that is the case, yes. If ninja from our village are willing to give their loyalty to another, we have no right to therefore arrest a now other nation's ninja. However, most rogue ninja that join the Land of Dunes never really stay. They do it to temporarily clear their name, so that we're forced to drop it from our Bingo Books, and then they just go back to criminal activity. At that point, we can't track them again until they show themselves once more."

"Then they're worse than scum," Sasuke said. "If they're too cowardly to answer for their crimes, then they can't even be classified as ninja."

"You're quite right. But we are only going to the Land of Dunes to protect their trade convoys, not to change their whole structure. We will be there for two weeks so that we can send a message to any bandits that Konoha is protecting the traders."

With a leap forward, Naruto crowed, "Then let's show them what's what! Team 7 hasn't known defeat yet! Besides, I've been really itching to use my Rasengan on some new enemies!" With that, he made to jump right out the door-

"I make it sound simple, Naruto, but it really isn't," said Kakashi, and he moved so rapidly that one moment he was a blur, and the next he was right in front of the genin. "Rogue ninja come in all shape's and sizes. I _know_ that when we went to the Land of Snow we faced off against some serious ninja, and I _know_ that you faced off with Kabuto and Orochimaru during your quest to find Lady Tsunade. But this time, it's different. Lord Jiraiya isn't here to fight on your behalf, and the conditions we are going to is practically unknown. The only reason this mission has been assigned to Team 7, a still dominantly genin team, is because I have been to the Land of Dunes before, and am the _only_ one who has been there."

"Then why aren't you off with some other jonin, Kakashi sensei?" Sakura asked, cocking her head in confusion. "Not that I'm worried about this mission, but this is sounding awfully close to a higher class mission!"

"I don't know all the details myself," Kakashi grumbled, beckoning for the team to follow him out the door. "But the only reason we are bothering with a country like the Land of Dunes is because they supply around 30% of all the gold in Konoha. If we were to send in a full jonin team to deal with the bandits, more than likely a force stronger than their entire military, it would seem like we were trying to directly control the gold trade. In other words, an occupation force."

Sasuke shook his head. "Don't tell me; then we'll have to break diplomatic ties or some stupid political scandal will arise?"

"Worse; the Land of Dunes in apart of an alliance called the Triad. The alliance is military based, meaning if the Land of Dunes felt thtreatened and initated conflict, we'd be dealing with two other nations."

Naruto furrowed his brow, perplexed. "But what's so worrying about that? Konoha has the best ninja in the world! There's no reason for us to be so worried about some silly little alliance."

"Its not the threat of military action, Naruto. You see, one of the members of the Triad is the Land of Sound."

Sasuke stopped walking. "Orochimaru's land."

"Yes. Now you might be able to piece it all together."

"I think I can do it, Kakashi sensei," Sakura said, her voice gushing with the desire to impress Sasuke. "If we send in a small, seemingly weak force to the Land of Dunes, they won't see it as an invasion force, they'll see it as a genial protection force. That means, when the mission is completed, the Land of Dunes will be favorable towards us, allowing for more cooperation to be done with them, to the point they might even offer us entry into the Triad Alliance."

Kakashi nodded his appreciation for Sakura's genius. "To which point we might be able to finally crack what the Land of Sound's purpose really is, and allow a possible capture of our slippery friend."

Sasuke placed a hand on his neck, and Sakura's eyes widened in concern. It was known to all four of them that during their Chunin Exams, Sasuke had been bit by Orochimaru himself, giving the young Uchiha some sort of curse mark. While they didn't really know what it's real function was, all Sakura knew is that it unleashed Sasuke's dark side; an evil as true as Orochimaru.

"Let's just get this mission done," Sasuke said abruptly, dropping his hand from the mark. "The quicker, the better." He started walking again, and within a few more minutes they were at the gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

There was a sizable group waiting for them there, and Naruto could immediately tell it was the caravan they were being assigned to guard. Wagon's being pulled by donkeys and horses filled up the entrance, and chatty merchants were bickering to each other on their successful deals. A brightly clothed merchant saw the four approach the caravan, and walked over to them. "You are Team 7, yes?"

"That we are," Kakashi answered. "Is your caravan ready to head out?"

"Yes, yes, we are all set. My name is Heyuut, the new diplomat between the Land of Fire and the Land of Dunes."

"A pleasure to meet you," Kakashi said brightly. "Where will my team and I be riding?"

"In our defensive wagon," Heyuut blustered, pointing to a heavily armored wagon with three other ninja already on it. One of them saw Heyuut pointing at them, and Naruto was given the sudden feeling that Team 7 would not be welcome on their wagon. "We are leaving in five minutes, so best get on board!"

"Wait, Diplomat Heyuut," Kakashi said, his persona still bright and lively. "What is the name of the rather menacing and, quite frankly, unwelcoming figure looking over at us?"

Heyuut's expression flickered from boisterous to unsettled for a moment, but when he answered Kakashi, he was all joy once again. "That is Juruko. He is in charge of our safety for this trip. He is one of our ninja, as are those other two. I suggest you get acquainted with him!"

"We'll try," Kakashi said, and even Naruto could detect that his sensei might be forcibly putting on this happy personality. "We are ready to leave when you are."

"Let's go, let's go!" Heyuut exclaimed happily, and jostled on down to the front of the caravan, calling to the other merchants to be sure they were all set as well.

"I wasn't informed we would be having to _work _with the rogue ninja from the Land of Dunes," said Kakashi coolly to Heyuut's back. "Thank you for leaving out such crucial information."

"Why is that important," Sasuke asked calmly, looking over at the rogue ninja. "It's not like that even they try to fight us, it'll be a problem."

"Because Juruko _was _a missing-nin from the Land of Lightning. Ach, I _told_ Lady Tsunade to forget about diplomacy and just make this an A-rank mission, but she just didn't want to risk it."

"So he's a traitor and scum to the Land of Lighting," Sasuke argued. "How is that still a problem?"

Kakashi sighed, beckoning the team forward towards the armored wagon. "Juruko left the village for committing a heinous crime that would've gotten him executed had he stayed. I'm sure whoever his teammates are on that cart there know who he is, and are most likely terrified."

"But what did he dooooooo?" Naruto demanded.

They reached the cart, causing Kakashi to pause on giving an answer. Instead he offered his hand to the one called Juruko. "Hello, my name is Kakashi Hatake, and these are the members of my team: Naruto Uzimaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Hurano. I hope we can all accomplish this mission on good terms- together."

The man called Juruko looked at Kakashi eye-to-eye, and Naruto got a good look at the other's face. He was dark-skinned, and wore a simple outfit. His forehead protector, however, was blank.

Not a single scar or insult to the flesh was visible on the man's face.

"An honor to meet the Copy-Cat Ninja himself," Juruko said after a painful minute of silence. "Let's just stay on the assumption that _I _am in charge still, agreed?"

"No question about it," Kakashi said automatically. "My team and I are at your disposal."

Naruto opened his mouth to disagree, but Kakashi slapped a hand across his lips. Not dragging his eyes away from Juruko, who was now facing the other way to wait for the signal to begin moving, he helped all 3 of the genin onto the cart.

The other two ninja from the Land of Dunes gave nods of greeting as they all settled down, but did nothing more. They blankly stared at each other, their eyes exhibiting signs of paranoia and lack of sleep.

"Kakashi sensei, what was his crime?" Naruto whispered.

"Later, Naruto."

And the blond genin, in a rare occurrence, shut his mouth. One look at his sensei was all he needed to know now was not the time. Kakashi, who had except in the most dire of situations, was letting his Sharingan peep over the top of his forehead protector.

Looking upon Juruko.

_Oh man, _Naruto thought to himself. _If this creep has got even Kakashi sensei all riled up, then he must be the real deal!_

"Alright, everybody!" Heyuut's voice called out. "Let's head back home!"

Like a great, lumbering beast, the caravan began to shift forward like a single entity. Naruto looked behind the cart, at the great wooden gates that guarded the Village. He could still see the outlines of the buildings in the night. Then, as one, they swung towards eachother, as if grateful to come into communion once more. With a loud boom, they shut, shielding his gaze from the village.

_It's only two weeks. _Naruto felt as if he was trying to comfort himself. _Only two weeks. I'm excited for this! An A-rank mission!_ _To an almost unknown land! This is the adventure of a lifetime! Man, who needs Konoha when you're gonna be fighting all day._

But he could not fight the urge to gaze upon the village once more.


	2. Chapter 2- The Wild Lands

"So... what do you guys think about this Juruko guy?"

"I think he's dangerous!"

"I think he's going to be a problem on completing this mission."

"Oh, uh, me too Sasuke!"

"Ahh don't worry Sakura, I'll make sure Juruko doesn't mess with us!"

"Like you could do anything, Naruto."

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

The sun was beginning to peer over the distant mountains, its red hue causing the stars to fade away. Only the moon gave any memory to the night before. The caravan had proceeded through the forests of Konoha, and was approaching the border between Konoha and the "Wild Lands" that separated it from the Land of Dunes.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were up near the front of the caravan, while their sensei, Kakashi Hatake, was in the back of the caravan with two of the Land of Dunes's ninjas. The leader of their group, Juruko, was somewhere in the middle of the caravan, though they hadn't seen him for some time.

Right where Naruto wanted to him to be: away from him and his friends. "He just has that aura of evil around him!" Naruto said for the hundredth time. "Why did we have to go on a mission with _him, _of all ninja there could have been!"

"Quiet, Naruto, or he might hear us!" Sakura said worriedly, looking behind her for the hundredth time. Her eyes were droppy from lack of sleep. None of them had dared to sleep, not with Kakashi sensei so tense about being around Juruko. If something was spooking their sensei, then they were positively terrified.

Sasuke, however, seemed non-plussed. "The guy is just another rogue ninja who's probably just big talk. When have we ever encountered missing-nin so powerful, anyways? If they're to scared to face justice, then they obviously not that strong."

"I can think of a few times when missing-nin have been powerful," Sakura murmered, and Naruto remembered when they had all faced off against Zabuza in the Land of Waves. Or, even more recently, Orochimaru, one of the Leaf Village's most wanted criminals.

"Me too. I'd hate to go up against some of them."

"I can think of a few I'd want to." Naruto blinked, surprised at hearing the anger brimming in Sasuke's voice. However, it only took another blink to understand. Not to long ago, Naruto had finally met Sasuke's older brother, Itachi Uchiha, one of the strongest missing-nin in existence. If it hadn't been for Lord Jiraiya, Itachi would have probably killed his brother.

And Naruto knew just how badly Sasuke wanted to kill Itachi. Not just for that encounter, but for actions done before. Like murdering Sasuke's family and clan.

"Hey, we'll always be there to back each other up, no matter what gets in the way!" Sakura said, obviously trying to cool down Sasuke. "Let's go see if Diplomat Heyuut has anything he wants us to do!"

Sasuke switched from anger to his normal self again. "Alright."

The trio went over to the luxurious cart that housed the Diplomat. It was almost as yellow as the sun, so much gold laced in and out of it. _I guess that's the break from living in a town with enough gold to make houses out of it! _Naruto thought. "I'll go ask the Diplomat if there's anything we can do," Naruto volunteered, and peeked his head into the wagon.

Immediately, he wished he hadn't. The Diplomat was in the company their group leader, Juruko. They appeared to be having a serious conversation. Naruto's face turned bright red, and he accidentally stuttered, "Bad time?"

Juruko and Heyuut turned towards him at the same time. "What are you doing here, Naruto!" the Diplomat demanded. "Why didn't you knock!"

"I-I-"

"Bah, children. What is it you wanted?"

Naruto tried to speak, but he found that his tongue was unwilling to cooperate. All he could do was stare at the impassive face of Juruko, who had not blinked since looking at him. "I-I-"

"Spit it out, please! Me and Juruko really need to resume talking about security measures when we enter the Wild Lands!"

_He's just staring at me, but I just can't figure out why! Is he going to kill me? I just don't know!_

"Naruto?" Sakura, most likely wondering what was taking so long, had come up to the caravan. One look inside told her all she needed to know. "Mr. Heyuut, we just wanted to know if you had anything you would like us to do?"

"Ah, at least _you _can talk! Yes, there actually is something you can do! Juruko was just telling me it would be wise if we could scout ahead and see if the bandits have laid out any sort of trap for us. You three can accompany him."

The caravan paused at the final rest stop before the Wild Lands. "Remember to fill up on water," Kakashi reminded them. "Don't want to dehydrate on the way!"

"Kakashi sensei, why couldn't you convince Juruko you were up to the task?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto was surprised to hear a small note of fear in his voice. _Ha! I knew Sasuke wasn't as calm as he seemed! This Juruko guy has us all worried._

"Because he's the one in charge," Kakashi answered, bringing Naruto out of his thoughts. "Look, you three, I want you all to pay close attention to what I'm going to tell you. Are you all listening?" He didn't wait for an affirmative, but rushed on, his mask quivering with the speed in which he spoke. "I want you three to stick together, no matter what. If Juruko sends you off on your own, refuse and say you'll only go if you're all together. If he says that _he'll _accompany you, keep insisting on you three. I hope you get the picture of what I'm saying to you; _don't be alone with him._"

Sakura gulped audibly. Naruto looked down and saw her legs were trembling. However, her voice was able to remain steady. "Or he'll kill us?"

Kakashi looked over to where Juruko was waiting on the border, then brought his one eye back to them. "The reason why Juruko was going to be executed is because on a certain mission he was on, he slaughtered his team single-handedly. All eleven of them."

The three genin suddenly felt as if they had been dunked under icy water. Their eyes opened wide.

"Nobody knows why he did it, but he was only a chunin at the time, and everyone on the team was jonin or anbu. His skill is ridiculously high, and he's killed more than even I know. He's been on countless teams with the same result as the first; dead. If you three manage to stick together, then you have a chance of getting away from him if he suddenly goes violent. If he does try to kill you, then rush back here. I'll be able to pin him down."

"Why on earth did the Land of Dunes take this guy in if he's such a psycho?" Naruto demanded. "He's insane! Killing his teammate for no reason? That goes beyond breaking the ninja code; its inhumane-"

"Don't you think the same thought has run through the thoughts of everyone who's been on his team?" kakashi interrupted, his voice getting deadly. "I can't change his mind without him probably killing half the merchants. Then it wouldn't be murder, it'd be a massacre." Their sensei sighed audibly, and stood up. "But a ninja endures, right? So endure this challenge... and stay safe. For my sake."

The trio stood up, still shaky from the revelation. Kakashi gestured for them to go over to Juruko, and then he returned to the caravan, where he and the other two Dunes ninja would stay on guard. Slowly, they proceeded to go over to Juruko. When they saw the impatience blossoming on his face, they rushed over.

"Alright, you runts, I'll make it easy. We're going to scout two miles ahead and see if there's any trap set or bandits to kill. Find anything, deal with it. Any questions?"

The explanation was so brief that they were too surprised to reply. "Alright then, let's go!" Juruko began running across the border, and the trio ran after him, all the while in utter panic.

"Stop."

They had been running for over an hour. The trees of Konoha were far behind them. Hills of gravel and dirt now made up the terrain. The dirt path they had been following had been clear, but they had just hit their first anomaly. A tipped over cart, wheel spinning lazily in the breeze, lay on the path. Fruits and vegetables, rotten in the sunlight, gave the only color in the dreary landscape.

Juruko beckoned for them to come over to him, and they hesitantly approached the cart. Their captain walked right up to the cart, and with a single kick, tossed it over. A single corpse was strewn on the ground, facedown on the dirt. There was no sign of age on the skin; the man couldn't have been more than twenty years old.

"Poor chap," Juruko said, his voice flat. "To have died so young. His life ended so abruptly... what a waste."

The genin, unsure of how to respond, shifted silently in place.

"Alright, here's what's gonna happen. Me and Naruto are going to scout left of the cart, and Sakura and Sasuke to the right. Good? Let's go-"

"Uh-uh-wait!" Naruto blurted. "I-I'd prefer to go with Sasuke and Sakura!"

Juruko paused in his movement. "And why is that?"

Naruto's brain raced. "Well... what if they run into some serious trouble? The three of us stand a better chance! You're already really strong, it offers a higher survival rate."

Juruko rubbed his chin. "An interesting thought. However, I don't care about survival rate. Now let's _go._" He put a heavy emphasis on the last word that Naruto involuntarily took a step back. "Come on, blondie, I don't have all day."

"Uh-uh- I'll be a huge setback for you! I'm really slow with others, because I've been with my team so long. It would be better if I went with them!"

"Yeah, Naruto is a bit of a klutz without us," Sakura interjected. "We'd get more done if he was with us." Sasuke nodded his affirmative.

Juruko chuckled. "Come on, I'm getting the feeling you guys don't like me to much. Now just do as I say, and nothing can go wrong, alright?"

Naruto felt as if his life was already being sucked away. "Look, Mr. Juruko-"

"Enough. Move. Now."

Naruto's panic overcame him. "No! I'm going to go with Sasuke and Sakura!"

Juruko leered over him. "Listen, kid-"

He didn't get to finish. Suddenly, from behind the hills of dirt, figures leaped out on both sides. As one, they all drew kunai knives, and as one, all threw them at the four.

"Duck!" Juruko cried, and he slammed to the ground. The three of them did the same, and the kunai sailed over their heads, some coming to the ground, others knocking themselves out with a _clang._ Juruko slowly got up, and the three of them did the same.

"You'll be coming with us, I think," said one of their attackers on the left side. "No need for people to get hurt."

_Says the one that threw the kunai at us! _Naruto thought angrily.

"Tell us why you've been targeting caravans from the Land of Dunes," Juruko said calmly. "Then we'll consider surrender."

The last few words didn't register in Naruto's mind. _Surrender? But I thought this guy was itching to kill people!_

Juruko's ending statement also seemed to confuse the speaker. "Uh... no. Just...just come with us!"

"Alright, I tried asking. You three, stay out of the way, alright?"

Sakura turned, her eyes questioning. "Wait, but what are-?" She stopped, and Naruto looked over as well. Juruko was not there. _What?_

A scream from over on the hill snapped his attention back. The speaker was still on the hill; sort of. He was dangling in the air, his throat being clasped tightly by Juruko. The bandits who had been next to the speaker were simply gawking at what had just happened.

"Will you answer me now?"

The speaker choked and gagged, but with his left hand made some sort of complicated gesture.

"Naruto, behind!" Sasuke's yell drew his attention away from Juruko, and to the nine bandits streaming down the right hill towards them. _Well, at least we get a good fight!_

He brought his hands together in his signature hand sign. "**Shadow Clone Jutsu!"** Suddenly, there was six Narutos instead of one. "Let's bag 'em!" The eight of them rushed forward to meet the bandits, kunai drawn. On Naruto's right, he saw Sasuke toss some shuriken down amongst the bandits, some meeting flesh and some others knocking away kunai. The bandits hollered in pain, but they were far from defeated. Somewhere in the crowd, he heard a female voice yell: "**Earth Style: Earth Barrage Justu!"**A small volley of thumb-sized dirt clods suddenly raced towards the Uchiha, and to Naruto's satisfaction, they hit the target. _He's got them now._

There was the same female voice giving a shout of triumph, and then suddenly surprise and Sasuke's body turned into a log, which plummeted and hit one of the bandits on the head. Immediately after, he heard the same female voice give a cry of pain, and Naruto saw the smoke signifying Sasuke's reentrance into the fight.

Sakura was also holding her own quite well. One bandit was lying facedown twitching on the ground, while the other two sported numerous gashes on their body. Sakura suddenly ducked low and rose up, her fist connecting fiercely with one of the bandit's chins, and Naruto heard the criminal hit the ground with a groan.

The three bandits he was facing were also being taken down swiftly. One of his shadow clones had been taken out, but so had two of the bandits. The last was desperately trying to do some sort of hand signs, but the continuous rain of fists were preventing him. Suddenly, he took a great leap back, and found that he had enough time to perform his Justu. _That's what _he _thinks! _The blond genin tossed himself at two of his clones, and they began rocking him forward and back, forward and back, forward and back...

There was a sudden flash of blinding light. Naruto felt the clones creak from the sudden disturbance, but they still launched him. Through the light, he heard Juruko yell, "Keep your eyes shut!" He closed his eyes and blondly sailed forward like a bullet, but he got the last bandit square in the face, and the criminal collapsed to the ground unconscious.

He felt the pressure fade from his eyes all at once, and he opened his eyes slowly. He paused and looked around. Sakura and Sasuke had both mopped up their share of scum and looked confused but unharmed from the light, but where was Juruko...?

"Could job on alerting them, kid. Really made my day."

Naruto gasped in alarm at the close proximity of Juruko's voice, leaping a foot in the air, then turning around. The older ninja was standing there, tapping his foot. "Has anyone ever told you you're an idiot? Ah what am I saying, of course they have."

"I-I-I'm sorry," Naruto spluttered.

"Well, at least you fought marginally better than I thought you would. Good job."

"Oh, uh, thanks!" Naruto said, surprised at the compliment.

"Well, I think this would have been our main opponents on the way to the Land of Dunes. A shame, I thought there would be more of a challenge than this." Juruko walked over to one of the unconscious bandits. "Wake up." The bandit did not respond. Juruko gave the criminal ameaty smack to the face. "I said wake up!"

Sasuke and Sakura walked over to Naruto as the Juruko finally awoke the bandit after three more hits. "That's better. Now, where's your boss?"

"Don't know..."

Another meaty smack. "Next time it'll be a fist. Now, where's the one that sent you."

Strangely, the bandit did not appear to notice being hit. "Don't know..."

"Talk, damn you!" This time there was a thud, as Juruko kept his promise and slammed the bandit. There was no change in the other. "Hmm... they've suddenly been placed under genjutsu. It must've been from the sudden burst of light. You three, search the bodies for any clues as to where the light may have come from.

They scrambled around the hills, but couldn't find anything. "It looks to me someone cast it on them just now," Sasuke reported when they all had met up again. "But how did we not detect them, or feel the genjutsu ourselves?"

"It's a mystery to me kid, but it proves what I had thought earlier." He gestured to the unconscious lumps strewn across the landscape. "These guys are indeed the ones who have been hitting the caravans, but somebody's been giving them instructions. A genjutsu like that is more extreme than a simple bandit leader. I mean, bandits come in all shapes and sizes, but its rare someone with such talent would run in with such weaklings like these."

"So someone behind the scenes? Sounds like every other mission we've been on," Naruto said glumly, earning him a hearty hit in the head from Sakura.

"Better you hit him than I do, girly," Juruko said. "At any rate, it seems we've cleared our path for now. The Wild Lands stretch twenty miles horizontally, but only four vertically. We'll head back to the caravan, and reach the Land of Dunes in two days."

"But we still don't know who cast that genjutsu," Sakura murmured. "They could still attack us."

"In which we'll be waiting for them," Juruko replied. "Come on, let's head back to your sensei."


	3. Chapter 3- The Black Five

**Hey guys, Dunstin here. Hope you enjoyed the first to chapters. Just here to say there won't be any fixated times of releasing the chapters, at least not now. I write these as I go, and when a good idea comes, I let the fingers fly.**

**On another note, I think I will find these more enjoyable by seeing some parts of the story through other characters points of view, instead of just the classic singular point. These will be recognizable by the character's name appearing after a break (XXX). There will probably be a few cases of seeing the villain's points of views, which will simply be recognized with "Other".**

**Thanks, enjoy.**

"And then a burst of light blinded us! It seemed to cast a genjutsu on all the bandits, but Juruko told us to shut our eyes."

"And you think that's what protected you? Just closing your eyes?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Well, at least the bandits have been taken care of, at least for now. I doubt they will attack us again after dealing such a sound victory."

"I hope so, the less trouble is better for me!"

"Oh come on, Sakura. Don't you like fighting?"

"Well...I'm not exactly that good at fighting."

*Stifles laugh*

"WHY YOU-"

"No Sakura, it was a joke, I'm sorry-! AH"

XXX

**Naruto**

The sun hung high above, beating down its lovely warmth upon the caravan. The fight in the Wild Lands seemed very distant now, as distant as the stars above. It has gone by so easily, so smoothly, that Naruto was already finding it difficult to recall it.

_Huh...so...they charged down the hill, I remember that. Then I used the shadow clones...and Sasuke and Sakura fought... then the light came. Wow, it was a cinch! I must be getting really strong for it to have gone by so easily!_

"Naruto?"

He turned. Sakura was there, alone. A few yards behind her, he could see Sasuke and Juruko talking to Kakashi and Heyuut. The caravan had received no trouble during their skirmish. Even from where they were. Naruto could still see the color had not fully returned to Kakashi's face. He had been so frightened while they were away that when they returned, he actually had come up to them and given them a quick hug.

_But Juruko didn't even show signs of wanting to kill us. Sure, he wanted to try and go off alone with me, but there seemed to be honest intent to scout the area, not destroy me. He was rude, but as bloodthirsty as I had expected. He just fought until the job was done._

"Hey, Naruto, can we talk?"

Naruto shook his head, realized Sakura was still there, apparently waiting for his reply to acknowledge a conversation. "Oh, uh, yeah Sakura. What is it?"

Her pink hair swished in the light breeze. "I just wanted to know if you had seen anything before that light blinded us. Or, better yet, any of the bandits doing anything funny. After all, it could have just been one of them."

_Oh jeez, I have to remember more now? Okay...uh...we were at the dunes...and..._

_..._

_Can I really not remember_ anything?

"Jeez, Sakura, I don't remember." A sudden thought struck him. "Say, you're way smarter than me! Why are you trying to ask me when you have a much better memory."

Sakura hid her face, as if embarrassed by the very notion. "Well, I didn't see anything either... I was just...looking for another opinion is all."

Something in her tone didn't sound right, but Naruto opted to let it slide. "Maybe Sasuke would know?"

"He was the first one I asked. But there's no way I'm asking Juruko."

Naruto grunted, putting his arms behind his head as they walked. "Sakura, come on. He doesn't seem as aggressive as Kakashi sensei obviously thinks he is. I bet Juruko isn't even as dangerous as the Bingo Book says he is. Big bark and no bite!"

Sakura's left eyebrow twitched. "Then how do you propose he got ranked as an A-rank criminal from the Land of Lighting? He _killed _his entire team, Naruto, and not just a standard three or four man squad. He took down eleven people, and according to Kakashi, they were all jonin or higher while he was just a chunin. If _that _doesn't worry you, then you mine as well be a Hokage!"

"Wow, thanks Sakura!"

_*Sigh*_

Abruptly, Naruto noticed that the way they were walking was a little funny. They were moving, as was the ground, but they seemed to be passing the various carts and wagons, and as far as he knew, they had been keeping pace. "Hey, has the caravan stopped?" he asked. Sakura looked over, and rolled her eyes as if Naruto was really being stupid enough to ask her.

"Hey, Sakura, Naruto, bring it in." Kakashi was finished speaking with Juruko and Heyuut, and was now calling them over. Sasuke was at his side, his face in keeping its casual frown. Farther back, Naruto saw three figures huddled together, and as one, jump off and over the caravan, out of sight. They went over, and they saw Kakashi was looking very alert. "Juruko and Sasuke have given me the full report of your skirmish with the bandit ninja, and I'm saying good job to all three of you."

Naruto beamed. "Thanks, Kakashi sensei. It was an easy fight! But its kind of weird, I'm not really remembering the real action of the fight..."

Sakura and Sasuke both turned towards him suddenly, but neither said a word.

Kakashi rubbed his chin, or rather, his mask, thoughtfully. "Sometimes, in the heat of battle, a ninja becomes focused only on survival, directing all of his thoughts towards the fight. Your memory may have not been working at full peak, thus causing details to slip."

"But I'm having difficulty remembering as well," Sasuke argued, disgruntled. "And by the sound of it, Sakura is as well. Like Naruto said, the fight was smooth. There was no sense of really fighting too hard to the extent of what you're saying."

"Then what do _you _think, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked politely.

Sasuke opened his mouth, but after a moment, reluctantly closed it.

"Right. Just simple battle stress. But now, onto more important matters." Kakashi began moving towards the front of the caravan. "Juruko and his squad are going to go deeper into the Wild Lands again, except this time, they are going straight through to the Land of Dunes to notify their Daiymo we will be arriving tonight. Meanwhile, Heyuut is going to stop the caravan so that we arrive at "peak performance," or something ridiculous like that. In other words, we are stock still and immobile for about half an hour."

"Ah, don't get so worried, Kakashi sensei," Naruto cajoled. "The bandits are probably long gone. What could go wrong?"

Sasuke lunged forward, smashing Naruto into the ground. Surprised and angry, Naruto shouted, "Sasuke, what the hell are you doing!?"

The explosion, two meters from his face, smothered the answer.

XXX

**Kakashi**

"Naruto!" That was Sakura, her cry of worry and alarm would be telling them that they were off guard. "Naruto!"

He risked a glance towards Naruto. Sasuke had done good, bringing Naruto to the ground. The kunai knife that had sailed above the blonde's head would have most likely pierced his head, and at its speed, probably punctured his brain. However, the explosive tag had hit the wagon next to them, lighting it up so that all that was left was a smoldering wreck. However, it seemed Naruto was unharmed. Sasuke, however, was clutching his ear, a small print of blood visible. He hadn't been able to avoid the explosion, and the sound had damaged his hearing. But he could tell it was temporary, and someone with Sasuke's reputation would recover even quicker.

That meant he could cover for his pupil's confusion while the enemy revealed itself.

"Sakura, go to Naruto and Sasuke to check that they're okay." She nodded, and ran over to them. He knew she had virtually no knowledge of medical work, but he hoped she would at least stabilize Sasuke.

The gust of air was his only warning, and he ducked, but there was two more already there-

"**Earth Style: Mud Wall!" **To his satisfaction, the ground quivered, then tore as the wall came up. He heard the dull thuds of the shuriken hitting the wall. To his dismay, he saw four more shoot by, two on his left and two on his right. They embedded themselves in two more carts, and after a few seconds, sent them skyrocketing into the air. The merchants scurried around with miniature fire extinguishers.

_Who's attacking? The bandits? _Their attackers were hidden somewhere in one of the surrounding hills.

And there was something familiar about the enemy chakra, an old feeling...

He heard several thuds hit the mud wall, and he leaped back as all the kunai that the wall had received exploded, sending chunks of earth flying around. The dust stung his one eye and seared his throat. A tear leaked out, followed by another, and another, and he felt his hair beginning to tingle with an unnatural feeling...

_Not dust. _He sent chakra down to his feet and propelled himself several feet into the air, out of the now dissipating cloud of strange air. He landed down calmly, and pulled out a single kunai. _See if I can draw them out. _He turned around fully, his back to where the his students were. Sakura was holding Sasuke up, applying a bandage to his ear. Naruto was on his knees, also clutching his ears. However, Kakashi could not see blood-

_There. _In one fluid motion, the hand not holding the kunai went up to his protector and pulled it up, allowing the Sharingan there to blossom to its full extent. He tossed the kunai in the air, and performed a series of hand signs. It came back to land in his hand, and the enemy shuriken racing towards him hit their mark.

However, he was far beneath the ground, having performed a Substitution Justu and proceeding to do another earth jutsu to hide.

"Now come and show yourself," he said aloud.

"Really, Kakashi, you need to be more elegant with your moves. An elephant could have told me what jutsu you pulled. Weak, just like last time."

His eyes widened as he recognized the voice, in such close proximity to him, and he felt a hand curl around his jacket and heave him out of the ground, like he was some sort of rag doll. The rush of air was the first feeling, and then his attacker flung him through the air, until he saw the ground approaching rapidly. Twisting in midair, he landed fine, though highly unsettled.

_What on earth is _he _doing here?_

XXX

**Sasuke**

_My ears... that explosion really did a number on them._

"Sasuke, hold on, I've almost got you patched up."

He looked at the girl helping him. "Who...?"

She looked at him, surprised. "Sasuke, it's me!"

He shook his head, snapping himself out of his sudden amnesia. "Sakura! Ah...what's going on? Where's Kakashi sensei?"

She gestured over to where a large wall was, where the silver hair of their sensei stood out like a beacon. Suddenly, two more explosions ripped apart the world, and Sasuke's already damaged ears gave another jolt of painful protest. He gritted his teeth aginst the pain, crashing down on a knee. The ground, however, was soft beneath him. He looked down and saw his leg was digging into Naruto's shoulder. He, too, was holding his hands to his ears.

_We both got hit. Some sort of special Sound effect on those explosion tags. _He felt the bandages tighten around his ear, making everything muffled on one side. He looked at Sakura. _But that doesn't account for how I almost didn't recognize her. What on earth is going on here?_

"Sasuke, Kakashi sensei needs our help!" Sakura was pointing out to where Kakashi, to the young Uchiha's surprise, the silver-haired jonin was looking dusty and slightly battered. A single man stood in front of him, dressed in a black cloak, a one piece suit visible beneath. A mask of some dark material was also covering the lower half of his face. Brown hair crawled across the scalp.

"Kakashi Hatake. The Copy-Cat Ninja of the Sharingan. Son of the White Fang. Hero of the Sharingan. Cold-Blooded Kakashi. All of these ridiculous titles that have been tagged onto you wherever you go. Its disgusting how you have clung to them."

"There is a strong line between respect and greed for fame."

"Words are for those who cannot solve their problems with action."

Kakashi curled one of his hands into a fist. "Then why are we doing this?"

The masked man tilted his face forward. Even from a distance, Sasuke could see the unnatural hunger in the man's eyes. Then the two adults were leaping at eachother, and began a fierce exchange of fists and metal.

Naruto was on his feet, though unsteady due to the unbalance in his hearing. Not wanting to be left behind, Sasuke got to his feet shakily, his hands on his knees as he bent over to steady himself.

"Well, looks like we're not going to get much of a challenge, the condition they're in." Sasuke looked up sharply. There were four more figures in front of them, three men and a woman. All were wearing identical cloaks to the one that Kakashi sensei was fighting.

"I don't know, this blond one looks like he could still put up a fight," the woman said, her red hair cascading over her right eye. Her left one was looking down with amusement at Naruto, blue and icy.

"You bet... I could beat you...all up!" Naruto wheezed.

The woman laughed, and with a sudden swish of the cloak, her right foot connected with his face, sending him flying a few meters to the right. Naruto hit the ground, unmoving. The woman laughed, then turned back to Sasuke. "Now, what about you, boy? Will you be as foolish as your teammate."

Sasuke closed his eyes. _There's four of them, and only me and Sakura. If Naruto is still awake, then that can help even the odds. But these guys are looking like chunin, maybe jonin- way out of our league. Kakashi is to busy with the other one to help, and we don't know where Juruko or his squad are. In a one-on-one fight, I would be able to win, but with these odds..._

"I asked you a question, boy. What are you going to do?" The woman was looking impatient. Her fellow attackers were also looking disgruntled, as if he was wasting their time.

_How dare they look at me with such contempt, _Sasuke thought furiously, and he felt his neck open like a flower of pain as the Curse Mark pulsed. He resisted the urge to gasp, and instead allowed the anger in him to clear away the pain in his ear. Suddenly, he felt himself return to his normal strength. He opened his eyes, and allowed the Sharingan to activate, turning his eyes into spheres of blood red.

The man on the farthest right raised white eyebrows, so that they disappeared into his snowy hair. "Say, those aren't Sharingan, are they?"

"You tell me!" Sasuke ground out. "**Fire Style: Dragonflame Justu!" **A wave of fire emitted from his mouth as his hands finished their signs. The four jumped into the air and back, out of range of the fire. He stopped the flames, and eyed them all evenly.

"Those are them, alright," said the largest man, his cloak looking likely to rip with his size. "Wow, I didn't think we'd be meeting the last of the Uchiha out here today."

"Why? Weren't sure you could handle it?" Sasuke mocked. He didn't allow an answer, but instead pulled out three shuriken in each hand, and allowed them to fly towards them. At the same time, he brought his hands together into a quick series of hand signs so quick his hands blurred. Then he brought them together and yelled, " **Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Justu!" **Rounds of elemental chakra flew out of his mouth, enveloping the already thrown shuriken so that they picked up even more speed and grew into firey balls of destruction.

"Damnit!" To Sasuke's satisfaction, two of the cloaked were hit, and their cloaks shredded and caught alight. Feeling confident, he drew out two kunai, one in each hand, and charged.

**"Ice Style: Ice Spike Barrage." **Sasuke veered to the left as a good dozen of icy spears materialized in front of the large cloaked man and sht toward him. _Blast! _The ice spikes were still heading towards him, no doubt locked onto him somehow. He pushed himself into the air performed another series of hand signs and breathed more flaming discs, which met the ice and caused a terrific explosion of chakra where they met.

Breathing heavily, he landed lightly on the ground, as the four cloaked figures collected towards eachother once again.

"You have skill, boy," said the one with snowy hair, his voice slow and calculating. "But you are nowhere close to our level of strength. You have no training worthy of calling yourself a ninja. Just simple parlor tricks."

"You know nothing about what I can do," Sasuke shouted, positvely boiling with anger. He felt the Curse Mark beginning to ache again with the familiar desire for him to use it, but he again managaed to choke it down. He tossed his kunai, but suddenly all four of the cloaked figures blurred and vanished. Unable to believe they had bipassed his Sharingan's ability to see moves before they happen. A moment later, he heard four different voices shout, **"Collaboration Justu: Quadtruple Elemental Sealing!" **To the young genin's alarm, he saw four semi- see through walls of different colorspring up from the ground out of nowhere, surrounding him.

"Sorry, boy, but the less intrusion, the better." The woman stood in front of him, smirking unpleasentely. "We just needed a test of your skills to see if you would be a problem. And you are. So have fun in there." She walked away, and her team followed up beside her, walking towards the now wrecked landscape where Kakashi and the masked fellow were fighting.

"No!" Sasuke could see Kakashi was to distracted with his fight to counter, or even notice an attack from these four. _I need to get out of here!" _He took a glance at the walls. Behind him the wall was blue, the right brown, the left red, and in front white. He threw a kunai at the wall in front, but it simple stopped cold and hit the ground. **"Fire Style: Dragonflame Jutsu!" **The flames arced out again, but suddenly the wall seemed to rotate, so that the white and red switched places. The red wall sucked up all the fire, leaving him alone again.

_What? How do I get out of here! No, think. I need to be patient and think... _He tried to clear his mind, but he saw the four enemy ninja all performing more hand signs in close proximity to Kakashi. _If they get him like me, it's all over. _He looked over at where Sakura and Naruto were. The pink-haired genin was helping put out the fires on the carts, but Sasuke noticed that Naruto wasn't there-

"Hold it right there! You creeps aren't laying a finger on my sensei!" Sasuke felt his heart plummet. He would have given anything to have Juruko and his squad return, but Naruto...

"I thought you took care of this brat, Cecilia?" said the large attacker.

"I did!" the woman called Cecilia protested. "Well, let's just make this quick." She rushed forard, towards Naruto, her hands outstreched to no doubt grab him by the neck. The other three came forward slowly, in tight formation.

_No, I can't let naruto be killed like this! _"Naruto, just get out of here! Get Sakura and run! Me and Kakashi are done for!" Naruto did not react, he just looked forward as Cecilia charged towards him...

"NARUTO!" Sasuke yelled. "Run!"

"To late, boy," Cecilia called. "Now you die-"

Sasuke watched as the woman flipped through the air as she collided with Naruto. She fell face first to the ground, but Naruo didn't end it there. He grabbed her by the ankle and heaved her round and round, finally throwing her back at her teammates. They stopped, stunned, as she groaned at their feet.

"Now," Naruto said, his voice throaty and serious. "It's a fight."

XXX


	4. Chapter 4- Crossing Blades

"Hmm, Kakashi's team seems to be performing rather poorly. I told you my ninja would be more than competant."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Oh?"

"You see, one of their team members has the essence of the Nine-Tailed- Fox locked all snug inside him."

"Impossible! A child wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Yet it has been done... I've had a... taste of its abilities."

"Well, I don't think it'll matter now. They will all be killed momentarily."

The other flashed his glasses. "Do you want to put your life on that? You know my Lord would not be pleased if you said that and they failed."

"Oh do shut up. You haven't even bothered to tell me who your 'Lord' is yet anyways. Until then, your threats are irrelevant to me, O_tubak._"

The other chuckled. "You'll soon be thinking otherwise."

XXX

**Kakashi**

"How long do you plan to keep up this charade, Kakashi? I know that precious eye of your sucks up a lot of chakra. Fighting like this is gonna put you out of commision quite soon. Only death would be more permanent!"

Kakashi gritted his teeth through his mask, and tossed a wide array of kunai at his opponent. The other used the kunai already in his hands to knock them all away. "The same moves as before... but even more of a failure."

"Then why don't you act, Sudoar?" Kakashi called back. "You seem determined to ridiucle me in every way; why not go further?"

The other tilted his head, as if this thought hadn't occured to him before. "Good point. This is goodbye, then, Kakashi Hatake. However, I must at least obtain partial success on my mission. Where is the one called Juruko?"

Kakashi felt himself flinch. "What do you want with a criminal like him!"

"He has an object of very important value to my employer. As you might imagine, we're here to take it."

_What could Juruko have of any value? Jewels? A hiden jutsu? Or maybe he has a bounty on him? _"Whatever it is you want from him, you can't have it," he said aloud.

"I had a feeling you would say that. Loyal to your mission until death." The mask the other wore shook, but the eyes remained fixated on Kakashi, full of untamed bloodlust. "Your village seems to have a strange desire to stick to that. What is the point of dying prematurely, Kakashi? Is it such a noble action for a ninja to die for a cause as simple as a mission? Can you whet my curiosity, Hero of the Sharingan?"

Kakashi remained silent, his lone Sharingan concentrating on what Sudoar's next action might be.

"Not even a retort. Very well. Just die, like so many ninja before." The other brought his hands together, and Kakashi brought his gaze to what hand signs they would perform, so that he could copy them. Sudoar saw this, and laughed."No, Kakashi, you don't need to copy this one." Kakashi had the impression was smiling behind that mask.

_What is he talking about?_

"Behold, Kakashi, and remember this as I cut you down: You are not special. Your eye does nothing but give you false jutsu. You wielded only one true jutsu when we fought all those years ago, in the Palace of the Dunes. Now, I will give you the blessing to see it once more." Sudoar pulled out an object from within his cloak and placed it on his right hand, and Kakashi realized it was a glove. But there was something sparkling on it... no, four sparkles. But one seemed distinctly smaller...

Sudoar brought his hands together, and Kakashi matched them perfectly. _Wait... I know these hand signs! Ox...Rabbit...Monkey...No! It's-_

"Yes, Kakashi! Your own original jutsu! But with my own twist!" Sudoar finished the hand signs and clasped his left hand around his right wrist, and for the tiniest of moments, nothing happened. Then there was a charge of electricity, then another, and another, until the whole hand was a fizzing orb of power-

**"Dark Style: Lighting Blade!"**

Kakashi shakily streched his own hand out. **"Lighting Blade!"**

They ran at eachother full speed, but something was happening to Sudoar's own Blade . It was growing darker, losing the aura of white and blue. The ball was becoming progressively black, a midnight color of death, with tendrils of darkness spitting around like some monstrous beast...

"_Die, Kakashi Hatake_!" They both outstreched their hands towards eachother and met head on-

XXX

**Naruto**

_Sasuke's in trouble. _Naruto had seen the various attemps by the Uchiha to try and break out of his imprisonment, to no avail. It would seem he was quite immobile, and therefore, of no possible aid.

"Didn't you already take this one out, Cecilia?" said fat black clad ninja, his voice full of mock questioning. "I would have thought with the so called 'unlimited strength' you kept bragging about-"

"Can it, Drel." The woman was getting up, a bruise forming from where naruto had punched her and sent her spinning. "I'll take care of the kid, finish Kakashi."

"But Sudoar-"

"Sudoar wanted time to have his reunion with Kakashi, and he's had it. Remember the mission. We need to find Juruko and leave."

The three men nodded. "Right." They made to jump in the air, and Naruto's mind raced. _Kakashi is to busy with the last guy to deal with three more guys! And what do they want with Juruko! Well, whatevers going on, I need to prevent them from reaching both him and Kakashi sensei, or we won't be able to win at all!_

**"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **Naruto's clones appeared from the smoke of which they had been produced. Naruto smiled grimly. _I could only make ten. The explosion shockwave was unnatural- there must have been some sort of chakra inhibitor inside. I'll have to take them all out with what I got._

The snowy haired man paused. "Shadow clones? And they're solid... interesting. I thought the mission said it was a simple genin team, not this." The white haired ninja made to put his hands together-

_Can't let him do that! _"Alright gang, let's do it!" There was a chorus of agreement, and the eleven Naruto's all ran forward, towards the four other ninja. They all drew kunai knives and let them fly, all aiming for critical points in the body.

"To slow, kid."The heavy-set man called Drel jumped forward, hands together. **"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!" **An army of almost invisible dots of air suddenly shot out from the man's mouth, little bullets of displaced air that suddenly ripped through towards the approaching clones-

"Alright guys, do we know the plan?"

"Yup!"

"You know it!"

XXX

**Other**

The clones suddenly tossed their kunai into the air, wire trailing out the end. In the light, however, it was to difficult to see where the wire ended. The kunai tried to divide in the air, but seemed limited to a pair staying close together.

"Too late, boy!" The wind bullets tore through the clones, leaving the kid battered, downed to one knee. The kunai rained down, but the four black cloaked ninja nimbly dodged. "Well, what was the point in that attack? Not much of one, was it!" Drel paused, as if in seious thought for a moment. "Your name is Naruto, right? I've heard _all _those stories about you. You're not impressive; if anything, you're marginally a ninja."

The kid struggled to his feet, his breathing shaky, A large wound was visible in his right arm, where one of his air jutsu's rounds had hit the kid's arm. However, to Drel and his colleagues suprise, he was smiling. "Didn't they teach not to underestimate any ninja at wherver you guys went to school? You just broke the largest rule in the book!" He put his fingers together one more time. **"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **Ten more clones appeared, all wearing the same cocky grin. One of them stepped forward, and crowed, "Alright guys, let them have it!"With a combined roar, they charged.

The large shinobi looked in disbelief, as did his colleagues, at the approching crowd of orange and yellow. He squinted at them, trying to count how many there were. "Kids just have a hard time learning what is right from wrong," said Drel after a moment, and began taking steps forward. "It's like teaching lessons to a dog; never obediant until you've truly shown it who is in control! **Wind Style, Vacu- **AHH!" Drel suddenly fell, hitting the ground with full impact.

"You oaf, what-agh!" The snowy haired ninja also fell, his outstreched foot leading the way down. The woman leaned forward to try and catch him, be she met the same fate as her companions. The last of the darkly clothed ninja tryed to jump from the area, highly alert, but only rose a foot into the air before suddenly crashing back down to the earth.

Drel picked his head up. "What- the wire?" He looked at a kunai knife a few inches from his face, and saw the faintest glimmer of wire coming out of the end. He gripped it with a bulky hand, and followed it all the way back. The skin touched something cold, and Drel saw that ever two kunai was being connected by the wire. With a snarl, he pulled out his own kunai knife and cut the wire in front of him, then some of the other cord around him. He stood up as his teammates struggled up from the wire they had been entangled in. "You stupid kid!" he yelled at the still appraching clones. He squinted again. Something about the group was a little different, and there was some sort of disturbance in the ground behind the crowd, but he was to incensed to care at the moment. "Tricks like these are what makes you weak! They're not jutsu- they're child's play!"

"Call it what you like, you still fell for it," the sea of orange chorused happily.

Drel's felt his face contortat the remark, felt his emotions simmer with rage. "Then die young! **Wind Style: Blade of Wind!" **A small, nearly invisible slice of displaced air materialized at the fingertips of Drel, and he held it in front of him, careful to keep it away from anywhere near his body. "This technique is unavoidable. It'll decimate anything it touches- even pure iron. For a human, it's the end!"

The clones pounced towards him, all trying to land a punch or kick on him, but none could bypass Drel's hand. Finally, only one remained.

"You fought well, kid," said Drel grudgingly. He glanced behind him, where his comrades had almost completely removed the wire. "But when missions collide, it comes down to the one with more power, more desire. In this case, we have you outclassed.

The last Naruto shook it's head. "I think you'll find you're wrong on both accounts." Aruptly, he charged forward.

"If you want to die so badly, then don't let me keep you waiting!" Drel leaped forward as well, and his fingers tore straight through the final body like tissue paper. Drel turned around, where Naruto's body was ying on the ground, barely detached by a small sliver of flesh. _That's that. _

"Drel!" That was Cecilia. She was cutting away the last bit of wire on her foot, but she was staring at boy's body.

"Yeah, yeah, the boy's dead. Let's take care of Kakashi now."

"No, you fool! _Look at it!" _

Drel sighed, glanced at the body, and recoiled, stunned.

The body was gone, a puff of smoke being swallowed by the air.

_No-_

The ground rumbled under him, and suddenly, a pair of hands broke through the earth, clasping his ankles firmly in their filthy fingers. _No-_

"I told you, don't underestimate your opponent!" The voice was coming from behind him, but he could not see with the hands holding him so firmly in place. He managed to inch his head around, and his eyes widened.

The kid was there, alright, just a few yards away,as was one of his clones. But the clone was doing something strange to his hand. It was like a whirlpool was being created in the kid's hand, but not of water, but of _chakra. _

"What- how!"

The one holding the ball grinned. "While you and your team were falling apart in my wire trap, me and two of my clones hid in the earth, waiting for the moment to get you!"

Drel closed his eyes, cursing himself for his carelessness. But it only took him a moment to get over it. "Well? What happens now? You'e going to hit me with some condensed chakra?" He forced his bulk to swivel around a little more, to the point the clone holding his ankles lost its group for a moment. he turned his body 180 degrees, so that he faced the kid again. The clone got its grip again, but it didn't matter now. He was facing Naruto now. He streched out his hand, and at his fingertips, the Blade of Wind materialized again. "All I need to do is hit you with this again, and then you won't be hitting anything!"

To Drel's displeasure, the kid just gave him that cocky grin. "How many times do I have to tell you? _Never unerestimate you opponent. _You're too overconfident in your abilities to accept me as an actual threat. And that is going to mean your defeat!" The kid put a step forward, then another, and another, and then he was running at Drel. The clone he left behind dispersed, but the one holding him remained in place.

_Nothing can get past the Blade of Wind, _Drel thought smugly. _This kid's got talent, but no matter what that justu he's using is, it won't matter. It ends now, Naruto._

Naruto rushed forward, and when he was moments from hitting Drel, he shoved the ball of chakra in front of him. Likewise, Drel swished the blade in front of himself, so that it would slice right through whatever meager ploy the kid was using-

XXX

**Kakashi**

The two Lighting Blades met, and the two concentrated amounts of chakra interlocked with eachother. One black, one white. Time seemed to freeze, except for the chakra itself. They rustled and toiled, like two brothers bickering. However, they were of the same origin, same power. There was no difference between them, except in color and user.

_What's happening?_

The black and white merged, and Kakashi was given the strongest feeling of yin and yang coming into contact. Then the feeling ending, and the two centralized chakra bursts exploded silently, the chakra giving off no sound as it canceled itself out. It gave Kakashi the sensation that his arm was being ripped away from his body. The pain was close to intolerable, like a searing white void had opened in his mind, with a bottomless well of suffering. He felt himself flying away from the point of contact, and from the corner of his vision, could see Sudoar also hurtling away. They both hit the ground, their bodies digging into the earth with the force of the impact.

He heard Sudoar give a groan of anguish, then shifting dirt. Forcing his body to get geared for combat once again, he got himself on his feet again. Pain ran up his arm, and he took a look at his appendage. The skin was seared black, and the cloth that had covered his arm shredded and smoldering.

_The amount of chakra that just came into contact nearly killed us both. But it sure as hell ruined my arm. _He looked over at Sudoar, and blinked. The other was in muh worse condition. Not only was his arm in an even worse state, with parts of the flesh simply melted away, but his whole left side was smoldering, looking like he had had an unfortuante meeting with a miniature meat grinder. The mask he was wearing was also chipped and cracked, so that a portion of his mouth and nose could be seen. They, like Kakashi's arm, was blackened.

_But it doesn't seem like that glove of his was damaged in any way. _He looked at the tool Sudoar had used to hold the Lighting Blade. It was still shiny and sleek, though in the displaced air from their full meeting, he could not see the sparkles he had seen earlier. _Some sort of gem, or specially crafted metal._

"Kakashi!" He looked over at Sudoar, who was looking at him. "You're lucky I didn't have the full piece of the Lighting Star. Otherwise, it would've been you in my condition." He coughed, and some blood splattered the ground. "I'll ask one more time; where is Juruko?"

"What do you want with him?" Kakashi asked carefully. "It seems you want something from him."

Sudoar smiled. "Yes, we do. Or rather, my employer wants it."

"Must be some employer, for someone of _your _expertise."

Sudoar laughed. "Yes, you truly are the same as before, Kakashi Hatake. But before I take my leave-"

Kakashi crouched down into a combat pose. "Who said you were leaving? You're wanted in every shinobi village, in every land in the continent. Being such a high ranking criminal demands I bring you in."

"You tried last time and failed, my old acquantice. Again, both of us are too injured to carry on the battle. As it is, you are in no condition to capture me, especially with my squad still very much active-"

Kakashi twisted his head, to where a very loud explosion cut off Sudoar sentence. Beneath his mask, he smiled as he saw Sudoar widen his eyes in alarm, and take off towards the sound.

_Good job, Naruto._

XXX

**Naruto**

The Rasengan flew forward like a sentient creature. Naruto was only it's master, but the jutsu was just a beast on a leash. It chewed through the fat guy's Blade of Wind, and into his body. The man yelled in shock, then went silent and the Rasenegan dug into him, damaging his internal organs and breaking the tissues and fibers of his muscle structure.

All in all, he was out of the picture.

The man flew away, spinning, until he hit the ground very far away. He did not move as his body finally rested peacefully on the earth.

_One down..._

"DREL!" A fourth figure suddenly jumped into the scene. He landed to where the other three members of the attacking squad was finally free of the tripwire, and was standing up. They were all facing the newcomer.

_He must be the leader, the one Kakashi sensei was fighting. And it looks like he's been beaten as well. _

"The kid, he hit him with some sort of weird jutsu!" said the snowy haired ninja. The woman and other man nodded, and all four turned towards Naruto.

"Uhhhhhh... did I do that?"

The leader of the group narrowed his eyes. Naruto could not see his facial expression through the mask, but through a small crack in the mask, he could see the lip curling into a leer. "This kid took down Drel? I'm suprised."

"Sudoar, do you want us to get him?" The woman was looking at him searchingly.

"No. If he could be beaten by such weak trash, then he does not deserve to share in the glory later. Leave him to die."

The woman nodded her acceptance. "And the boy."

The one called Sudoar turned his body towards Naruto. "I'll handle it."

_Oh man! I don't have a lot of chakra left! And now I have to fight all three of them? By myself?_

Sudoar streched out his right hand, and Naruto saw that there was some sort of gauntlet attached to it. Four strange crystals ere imbedded in it, but he could see one of them was a lot smaller than the rest, and that there was also an empty slot where a fifth should be.

"Die."

Naruto put his hands together, planning to get in more shadow clones on the scene. _I don't know what good they'll do now, but I'm not going down not fighting!_

Suddenly, there was a blur of movement, and Naruto saw Kakashi sensei swoop in. He landed left foot forward, then swiveled around so that suddenly Naruto felt himself being jolted out of the way. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw the gauntlet Sudoar was using flare up with white energy, and release.

"Naruto, shut your eyes!"

Tired and worn out, Naurto obliged, only to release a second later what was happening. "Kakashi sensei!"

The energy flared, so that beneath his eyelids the darkness suddenly vanished, replaced by a pale red light. Then, the light faded, and Naruto opened his eyes. His sensei was on the ground where he had landed.

Unmoving.

"Kakashi sensei!"

The one called Sudoar was looking midly disturbed. "He pushed the boy out of the way so that he would take the attack instead. A shame...I had hoped to kill him in a better fashion."

The words were not registering with Naruto. _Killed? Kakashi sensei? No way! That's impossible!_

"The gauntlet needs to recharge. We've done all we can here, let's go."

The snowy haired ninja spoke up. "Can I at least kill the boy?"

Sudoar looked at Naruto, then nodded. The snowy hair ninja approached, a kunai knife in hand. And Naruto felt pain, not physical pain, but emotional strife, like a stab through his core, that he looked upon the approaching ninja with relief.

"Sorry, but not today!" A pair of shuriken sailed through the air, hitting the white haired ninja in the arm, embedding themselves there. With a cry of pain, his would-be-killer stepped back towards the trio.

A blue of pink hair landed in front of him. "Don't worry, Naruto, we got your back!"

_We?_

"That's right." Sasuke jumped right next to her, so that they stood in between Naruto and the enemy ninja. "You're not touching our friend."

In between his friend's legs, Naruto could just make out Sudoar. "This isn't worth the time. Retreat, we'll come back later for the Star."

The three other ninja nodded their consent, and they were suddenly consumed by smoke. Sasuke hurled shuriken into the smoke, but they passed right through, announcing the retreat of the four ninja was complete.

"Naruto?" Sakura was bending over him, conern etched into her face. "What happened?"

"Kakashi sensei..."

His vision was fading, as was his hearing. He disntantly saw Sakura get up and run over to the crumpled form on their sensei, but Naruto found himself slipping away himself. Finally, the curtains of unconsiousness were closing for him.

"Just hang in there, Naruto..."

"It'll be better, I promise..."

The words dissapeared, along with him, into the void.


	5. Chapter 5- Stars

"So, it would appear they failed after all."

The other looked at him incredulously. "You _wanted _my team to fail?"

The one with glasses nodded.

"Then why did you send them in the first place? And I'm assuming you knew Juruko wasn't even there in the first place. Am I right?"

"I sent them so that Sudoar would eliminate Kakashi. I knew his grudge against him would lead to their fight. Equipping him with the Gauntlet of the Slayer was just to assure it would happened."

The other nodded after a moment. "You really are a crafty one. Now, will you tell me who your Lord is? I'd prefer to meet him in person."

"You wouldn't want that."

A blink, then a frown. "Why's that?"

The man with glasses turned towards him. "Trust me, it's better between us. But enough talk. Go meet your squad, tell them to rest and await further instructions." He made to leave...

"Hold it, Otubak. I'm not doing anything until I've met the one you're receiving orders from. Its time this partnership reaches equal footing."

The one with glasses paused, then sighed aloud. "Very well. We will meet you at the Palace of Dunes tomorrow then, after the ceremony for the arrival of the caravan is over." He threw a smoke bomb to the ground, but as the smoke accumulated in the hot air, a few final words trailed from within. "And then you'll know why I tried so hard keep this between us."

XXX

**Sakura**

_Oh Kakashi sensei, please be alright._

The merchants had produced some blankets, fresh water, and various medicines from within their assembly of carts and wagons, and had prepared an almost lavish looking medical room in one of the wagons. The fires had all been put out, and the journey had resumed as planned. The Land of Dunes would soon be within sight.

"His condition has stabilized, breathing normal. He's simply not responding to any tests we do." The merchant gave her and the shocked Sasuke a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, I don't have any real medical knowledge. I learned this much from my mother. I suggest we leave him be until we reach the Land of Dunes, where our medical officials can look him over."

Sakura thanked the man, while Sasuke simply nodded his assent. They both looked towards their sensei again as the other exited the wagon. He was lying their peacefully, eyes closed. The merchant had had the courtesy to place the forehead protector over his Sharigan, allowing the fallen Kakashi to look like he had simply gone for a snooze.

_Of death..._

_No! Can't think like that. We have to assume he's alright. If not, this mission could be over real quickly if we meet those guys again._

"It's my fault." The words sounded so unlike Sasuke that for a moment Sakura had thought someone else had entered the room. A look at Sasuke, however, erased that possibility. The young Uchiha, always so proud and calm, indifferent and cool, looked quite possibly on the edge of throwing a rage. "I shouldn't have been stupid enough to be caught in their Barrier Jutsu. I just..."

_He just can't get over his limitations. _She placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "You can't always do everything, Sasuke. You're not even a chunin yet."

"Its not about ranks Sakura. Its that I didn't have enough power to fight, to win."

Something about those words sent a chill along Sakura's spine. "Nobody has enough power to win every situation, Sasuke. I'm sure Kakashi sensei is just fine, just in some sort of minor coma."

Her words didn't seem to register with him. "I just need a _bit _more power. Then I can fight. Then I come achieve total victory."

_It's just the shock of the battle. _She told herself. _He'll come back to his senses. _An idea came to her. "Sasuke, let's go see how N..." Her tongue rolled, trying to find the name. _Find the name!? What's wrong with me! _"Let's go see how Naruto is doing! The merchant said he should be awake now, so we can go talk to him."

To her relief, it worked. Sasuke's eyes seemed to flicker, and return to reality. He looked at her, mystified for a moment. "Sakura? When did you get here?"

_Not the response I was looking for..._

"I've _been _here Sasuke. I asked if you wanted to go see Naruto."

"Oh...right. Let's go."

_We'll be back soon, Kakashi sensei. Hang in there._

They exited the wagon, and Sakura looked around at their surroundings. The mounds of sand and gravel had greatly increased in number and size. They littered the landscape like cancer cells in an organ, making it impossible to view anything for any large distance. A few, sickly looking trees dotted the hills every now and then, but otherwise they were in a rather bleak and unattractive environment. However, they were reaching the end of the Wild Lands at last.

"Naruto's wagon is somewhere in the back, I think."

"Right." She frowned, feeling her concern rise for him. He was still sounding distracted and not entirely there. He just didn't _feel _right-

"Ah, there you two are!" Sakura turned and saw Heyuut, the new diplomat between their countries, approach them. "I hope Mr. Hatake is alright?"

"Oh, yes. He's recovering well." She paused, a sudden thought occurring to her. "Mr. Heyuut, where were you during the attack? I didn't see you anywhere, and I was right there with the merchants!"

Heyuut drew back, his face suddenly cast in darkness by the moving caravan. "Nowhere important. But Juruko has returned-"

"With his teammates?" Sasuke was peering at Heyuut imperiously.

"Err...no. They opted to stay behind in the Land of Dunes. But Juruko is in my wagon, and I would appreciate it if you both came with me. One of the merchants had an old ninja Bingo Book with a list of all the criminals, and we were hoping you could point out the attackers for us in there."

Sakura looked back towards the last few wagons. _Oh, Naruto, we'll come soon, I promise!_

XXX

**Sasuke**

_Your hate's not strong enough, little brother. And you know something? _The grip on his windpipe increased, and he fought for air in his clenching throat. _You never will._

The pressure released itself, but suddenly he found himself in an empty area. A void of blackness and nothingness.

"...This was one..."

"...Alright... yes, mark that one..."

_Your hate's not strong enough. _It echoed endlessly, like he was in a tunnel, with the same words repeating, vibrating, into his skull, like it was being engrained into his very flesh.

"...No... that's not him either... there, that's the last one..."

_Come find me when you have these eyes._

_Come find me when you have power._

"Sasuke?"

He blinked. "Yeah?"

Sakura smiled at him. "We have the list of all the attackers now. Diplomat Heyuut was kind enough to tally them all in the Bingo Book."

_Your hate's not strong enough. _"Alright, let's hear the names."

Heyuut cleared his throat. "The one who injured your sensei is Sudoar Harmira, an S-rank criminal from the Land of Lightning. His teammates are Cecilia Voorson, the woman from the Land of Iron, Drel Jesor, the large one from the Land of Wind, Horosho Mitake, the snowy haired one, from the Land of Snow, and... the last one we have no name or origin. They've all been labeled as apart of a mercenary squad called the "Black Five." In the team database, they have all been listed as B- and A-rank criminals as well." Heyuut paused, his eyes scanning all the information. "The description of these people... it's miraculous you survived as it is. You have tremendous skill for genin."

Sakura beamed. "Thanks! But we really do owe it to Kakashi sensei for all the training he gave."

Juruko nodded. "My sensei," he said slowly. "Taught me much of what I know now. They are the greatest source of information at your age... for runts like yourself."

_Come find me when you have these eyes. _"Why didn't you come sooner." He was looking at the Dunes ninja, his eyes full of contempt. Where were you when our sensei and teammate needed you?"

An awkward silence descended upon the wagon. "I was running for here as soon as I saw smoke," the older ninja said in that slow voice of his. "Based on what you've told me, it's lucky I _didn't _come when I did."

Sasuke stood up, his hair brushing the roof. "What are you talking about, you piece of trash. Where is your sense of honor, of protecting your teammates?"

Juruko's eyes glazed over. "What did you say?"

_Come find me when you have power. _"I told you-"

Juruko suddenly reached for his neck, and ripped something off of it. Sasuke zoomed in on it and saw that it was a necklace, with some dark blue crystal attached to it. "And what's that supposed to be?"

"This, you ignorant historian, is a fragment of the Lightning Star."

"The what?" Sakura's voice, puzzled, a rare occurrence knowing how much she actually did know.

"The Lightning Star is one of five special stones that fell to this earth at the dawn of the villages. They came in a small asteroid, that penetrated the atmosphere when the villages were still deciding their symbols." He held the crystal up close for them to see. "Do you see those markings?"

Sakura squinted at them. "They seem to look a lot like the Land of Lightning's ninja symbol, the ones they have on their forehead protectors."

Juruko nodded. "Good eye, girly. When the first Kages found the asteroid, and the five glowing stones inside, they each took one of the crystals, each pertaining to their lands abilities. The Stars were embranded with these symbols, and the Kages took them as a sign to use them. The legend behind the Star Stones is that when they met flesh for the first time, they immediately became affiliated with that Land's home jutsu." He put the necklace back around his neck, tightly, and the Star fell somewhere beneath his shirt. "For example, the Land of Lightning's star greatly enhances lightning bases jutsu. I'm assuming that the Land of Fire's improves fire- affiliated jutsu."

"Wait, wait, wait. So the stones-"

"Call them Stars, girly. That's where they came from, and that's what they are."

"Well, how are they Stars?"

"A star is basically one of the largest assemblies of pure energy ever produced. The Star Stones are among the same principles, but instead of just untamed, molten energy, they seem to be able to adapt to elemental chakra. They are, essentially, powerhouses for specific elemental jutsu."

Sakura furrowed her brow as she processed the information. "Can I ask where you got your fragment from? It sounds like they're very important to each Land."

Juruko frowned. "Heyuut, you don't mind if I talk to these two in private, do you?"

The diplomat, who had been listening eagerly, blinked. He looked around, and it occurred to Sasuke he might not want to exit his own wagon, but nonetheless, he obliged and exited.

"There. Now, it's just between you two. Your friend can be told later, but for now, we are the only active members on this mission. This is _very _high class information I am sharing with you, and you must understand that if you are captured by the enemy seeking information, you must choose death rather than spill secrets. Are we clear?"

Sasuke noted that Juruko was suddenly talking very professionally, not at all the slow voice he had wielded before. _He seems more... official._

"Over the past four years, the Five Great nations have all suffered various attacks, some of minor action, and some of major. It has _all _been sealed from the public. However, for the Keepers, it is vital we are told these things."

"Keepers?"

"Hold it, I'm not done yet. The Keepers are the two second most powerful ninja in the village of which the Stars are kept. I was one. The other was Sudoar."

Sasuke felt his throat constrict. _Come to me when you know power._

"Sudoar betrayed the village by abandoning it, taking the stone for himself. Me and eleven others went after him, but he told them the power of which I had around my neck, in this little Star, and they attacked me. I was forced to kill them all. Blinded by greed."

_That explains that at least. But... _

"But what about the other teams?" Sakura asked, completing his thought. "Why did you kill them as well?"

"Your sensei was wise, telling you my unfortunate reputation. Yes, the Land of Lightning exiled me for my crime, and I fled with my fragment as well, so that Sudoar, who knew almost all of our Land's secrets and traps, would be unable to acquire the second half of the fragment so easily. He tracked me down numerous times on different missions, tried to take back the crystal, and every time, my teammates became consumed by a hunger for power, to possess my Star fragment. I became a highly dangerous criminal, and I opted to keep it that way, so as to conceal any knowledge I might have been entrusted with the Star."

"And the reason for joining the Land of Dunes?"

"As I said, as Keeper, I have very strong connections in all the villages. These connections have told me that the attacks on the Five Great Nations have not been randomized; each time, they were searching for the Stars. In the last report, I recognized the description of Sudoar. He had stolen the Stars from the Land of Earth, Water, and Wind. He's trying to collect all five."

"To what end? I understand they each enhance their respective elemental chakras, but since he's a Lightning ninja, he won't be very good at other jutsu. What's the point of acquiring the Stars if he can't use them?"

Juruko laughed harshly. "That's the other portion of the legend. The Stars will bestow their knowledge of any jutsu they've come into contact with. Basically, the moment the Kage's touched those Stars, every jutsu they ever knew was stored, like a memory chip, into the Stars. The wielder will have access to that knowledge, and whoever else has come into contact with the Stars, whenever he pleases. With all five Stars in the possession of a single ninja, it means total mastery over all five elements. An unbeatable foe. An infinite number of jutsu and knowledge."

Sakura shook her head. "This is all too much to take in! Where did this Sudoar guy even get that glove he's using from! And you still haven't explained why you're with the Land of Dunes!"

"You're a sharp one, Sakura. The Gauntlet of the Slayer is said to have been crafted from the material of the asteroid in which the Stars came in from. Who made it is a mystery, but it came into the possession of the Land of Dunes, somehow. Knowing Sudoar's plan, I went there to prevent him from taking it. Unfortunately, someone on the inside stole it, and gave it to him. Whoever this one person is, he or she is the one who has pieced together the plot. Sudoar and the Black Five are the muscle, but someone else is the brains."

Sasuke gently touched the Curse Mark on his neck. "And that person is still in the Land of Dunes. Am I right?"

"As far as I know, yes. I've stayed with the Dunes so that I could possibly find out who, but I've had no such luck."

Juruko stood up. "But it's time we do our last patrol around the caravan," he said, his voice going slow and overconfident once more. "You two stay to the sides in the back, I'll stay up front. I expect we'll be reaching the Land of Dunes in an hour."

Sakura and Sasuke took the hint. "Yes, Captain Juruko."

They exited the wagon, where Heyuut was walking alongside, apparently waiting to get in. He hopped in without a word to either of them.

_Come to me when you know power. _

_The Stars have power. _Yes, but he knew he was no match for Sudoar.

_Juruko? Kill Juruko and take his fragment?_

_NO. What am I thinking?_

Itachi's face loomed into his vision. The blank, cold Mangekyo Sharingan glared at him over the collar of his Akatsaki robe. _Come find me when you have these eyes._

_Come find me when you have power._

_Yes, Sasuke! _Itachi's face twisted, turned deathly pale. Purple laced the eyes. Orochimaru looked hungrily at him. _I have the power you want, Sasuke. You just need to come and find me. I can teach you everything you need to kill Itachi. You need only come to me!_

_No! Get out of my head!_

_Just kill Juruko and take his fragment! The Chidori will be perfected, invincible!_

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-_

"Sasuke! Hey, Sasuke, come on!"

He shuddered, blinked. The last wagon was several yards ahead of him. He had been standing still, staring at the ground, for a good deal of time. Sakura was waving at him, her pink hair blossoming in the grey and yellow landscape.

"Sorry, was a little distracted". He ran forward, caught up to the caravan, and resumed pacing alongside it.

"Do you, do you want to walk?" She was looking at him, her eyes hopeful for a moment with him, to be with him.

"No, Sakura. I'm alright, let's just patrol for now."

She looked upset. "Okay..." She paused. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Sakura. Really."

"If you say so. If anything comes up, just ask me, okay?"

"Sakura, I'm fine. Trust me."

_Come to me when you know power._


	6. Chapter 6- A Memory Lost

**Me again. For those of you who are well versed in the Naruto timeline, this is placed in between the "Search for Tsunade" and "Sasuke Retrieval Arc." As you can tell, this obviously means Sasuke is still with Team 7, still the good guys. However, I felt it would be interesting to toy with him getting closer and closer to that search for power and Orochimaru, as you can tell in the last chapter. His fight for control will probably become a side-plot in addition to the Dark Star. **

** Also, you might have noticed I did barely anything from Sakura's point of view, and that's because she generally doesn't fight to much. If you guys would like to see more of her point of views, PM me or something. Otherwise, it's going to focus more on Naruto and Sasuke. With that, hope you're enjoying it thus far, leave a review or whatever if you did.**

"So... Sudoar and his team failed. After I had held them in such high regard."

He shifted slightly to the left, then back right, uneasy. It had been a while since he had heard such deadly contempt in his Lord's voice. "They lost one team member, and Sudoar was wounded."

"Interesting... and what of... our friend?"

"The barrier protecting him broke after Drel's death. He seems relatively safe."

The other sighed. "But he still wants power. Kakashi's condition will spark that desire. That will make him dangerous to the success of the mission."

"What do you suggest?"

The other closed his eyes. "Have Sudoar and his squad recover for now. But tomorrow, inform them I will not tolerate any failure."

The man with glasses looked at him, confused. "My Lord?"

"Just give them that message. They will understand, and they will act."

"Understood. Shall we see our benefactor now?"

"Perhaps... but I want to see the caravan arrive. So that I can see him."

"The top box has spaces open. I will make the necessary arrangements."

XXX

**Naruto**

_Am I dead? Is this like a station to go beyond?_

He was standing, alone, in a hallway. Something about it seemed familiar, but he could not figure out how. He decided to walk forward, to see where it would take him. He did not grow tired, thirsty, hungry. He simply put one foot after another. The hallway did not seem to have any intention of ending soon, but stretched on.

Silence was his only companion.

_Kakashi sensei... I'm so sorry._

His footsteps echoed into the halls, the material of his foot _clacking _on the metal floor. Dim lamps lit the way down the hallway.

**Then you should have used me, boy.**

He stopped dead. He knew where he was.

He blinked. A door was suddenly in front of him, iron and locked heavily. He put his hand on some of the chains in place, and they fell away. The door creaked open hesitantly, as if it were afraid to admit him. He pushed it open anyways.

The familiar, towering iron bars were there. The room was split in half by them. And on the other side...

**Your little sensei would still be alive if you had used my chakra, boy. You must know that.**

"He would have died anyways," Naruto retorted. "Why am I here?"

A snort of air, with enough force to send in stumbling, blew out from within the bars. **You're unconscious, boy. That means I am to, technically. Since we share one body, of course I'm going to want some company.**

"Why would I want to be with you? You want to kill me!"

**"True, true. But it's come to my attention that if you die, then I probably won't fare to well either. So why not share the love." **Another massive amount of steam emanated from between the bars as the beast on the other side exaled. Naruto's face clenched and he choked at the filthy aroma within the breath. **"Besides, you didn't seem to mind when I helped you fight that boy in the Chunin Exams, or when we fought that red- haired boy and Shukaku in the forest."**

"Well, I needed you then. Right now, I just want to..." His words trailed off.

**"Want to what, boy? Cry? Mourn? I keep forgetting how badly you humans cling to emotions like sadness."**

Naruto turned away from the fox. "Why am I here?"

**"I brought you here because I sensed a very familiar presence back when we were fighting. Sometimes, in the past, those who have summoned possessed a very unique and powerful chakra source. It's been probably a century since I last felt it... it's a source unique and strong enough that I won't forget it anytime soon."**

"So?" He kicked the ground, angrily satisfied that he could still feel pain even in this dreamlike state.

**"So it's very dangerous. Even if I were to help, it would create relatively low survival chances."**

_Something's even got this old fox worried? Jeez, then maybe I had better gear up._

**"I can still hear you, boy. Just listen to me before I wake you up. It would be better to quit this mission. You want to be Hokage? That's just fine, just means more reasons to kill you. I also want to stay alive. If you face whoever is wielding that power again, it means neither of those is going to happen. Think that over before you do something stupid."**

"Okay. Thanks...uh...Mr. Fox... thing."

He could have sworn the Fox he saw the fox almost lash out at him for that remark, but then the cage was silent again. **"I can't believe I'm saying this, boy, but stay safe."**

XXX

**Kakashi**

_Where... what is this place?_ He was in a white building, marble lacing the structure. _I've been here... I know it! How can I not remember?_

He was in the Palace of Dunes. But he did not feel like himself. His body was more lean, fitter, faster. His height had also decreased, and a small amount of weight on his back caused him to consciously straighten. With a jolt, he realized he was wearing a mask, the edges around his eyes making it a little strange to look around.

The smell of smoke drifted in the room. He looked to his left and saw a broken window, and he peered down. Tongues of flame and smoke greedily licked the sky, stealing the oxygen from the mouths of screaming people below. On top of some of the buildings, he could see four black- clad ninja performing various jutsus at the town, causing more devastation and confusion. The screaming grew louder.

_This is just like before..._

"So, you're the ANBU agent who breached so far into the Palace." Kakashi turned, his senses alert for any sign of trouble. To his shock, a younger, equally more fit Sudoar Harmira appeared from around one of the marble pillars. He was dressed in the same black cloak and mask he had worn during their most recent encounter, but he also wore the emblem of Captain of the Guard. Kakashi drank in the surroundings - _No, memories, I've been here- _of the lavish hall they were. The top floor of the Palace, where the Daiymo himself lived. However, he was nowhere to be seen. Just two intruders in his lounge.

"Sudoar Harmira, for crimes against the shinobi world, terrorist acts against the Land of Dunes, and assaulting members of Konoha's ANBU, I place you under arrest." He blinked. _How can I not remember this? It's like a recording that I've seen over and over, but I can't remember what happens next._ "Your squad is also under similar charges and offenses."

The other laughed. "Typical ANBU talk. You don't frighten me, boy. However, you have proved to be a nuisance in every way possible. You even bypassed my squad and traps... very impressive for someone your age."

"You're under arrest, Sudoar. Don't make it any more difficult for yourself." The words spilled from his mouth without control, and he opted to just stay out of the way as much as he could. _But I shouldn't be stumbling over words in the first place! I already did this!_

"You can't take me, boy. However, I would be much obliged to have your name, so that I may send it to your village so they can place you on that worthless memorial. Fallen comrades? Pathetic, and weak." He spat on the ground, and young Kakashi clenched his fists in anger. "I overcame such emotions long ago. They don't serve to strengthen your power; only hold you down with memories of sadness and weakness."

"You're wrong!"

"Then prove it, boy." Sudoar moved his arm, and Kakashi saw the same glove. However, it had only one, small crystal, not the other big three. "See this? The same one you always saw in our national ceremony, yes? Haha... I don't know its full power yet, but it will be sufficient to squeeze the life out of you. Strike me down, let's see if these memories of yours can help you now!"

They tossed themselves at each other like wild animals, kunai flashing, bursts of lightning, water, and fire spluttering all over the lounge. The walls and pillars became cracked and blackened, smoky and worn. Various ninja tools soon littered the ground, and the blood from stepping on them mingled in.

_I was so fit back then. Now... it's more effort to simply move than to do a jutsu. But its strange... I _know _this happened, but why can't I remember what happens after..._

After several intense minutes, they both paused, analyzing each other for wounds and what their next move might be. Thoughts that weren't the modern Kakashi's funneled through his mind. _I'll have to hit him with Lighting Blade... but only enough chakra for one burst. I'll have to make it count and just kill him._

"You're strong, boy." Sudoar was performing another set of hand signs. An orb of electricity, not to different from the actual Lighting Blade, began to materialize in his left hand. "You copy my own jutsu's like some sort of monkey. You have skill in mimicry, but nothing else. But now, this is a jutsu of my own invention, not some academy taught thing. You should be honored to see it. Now, with the Star of Lightning's enhancement, I can triple its already incredibly power." The electricity solidified into one massive white ball of electrical chakra, fizzling and producing smoke. **"Hiden Jutsu: Full White Devestation."**

Young Kakashi also prepared his own jutsu. "Artificial power does not grant victory, Sudoar. And emotions are not setbacks; they are aids for looking to the future. So that you may fight on, live on, in their name!"

Sudoar held the ball of white energy in front of him like he was going to eat it. "You have yet to prove it, boy."

Kakashi's own lightning jutsu materialized, far smaller and tendrils of blue electricity flickering around. "Allow me to show you my own original jutsu, then. And remember my name along with it, for when I strike you down, they will be the last words you hear."

Present Kakashi blinked. _I would remember words like that. Hell, I should be able to fully recall this battle! What's going on?_

Sudoar eyebrow's raised, their jet black color distinct against the ball of white. He was obviously impressed with the Lighting Blade. "Fascinating jutsu..."

"My name is Kakashi Hatake, and this is **Lighting Blade!"**

"Enough talk," Sudoar barked, and he suddenly blurred forward, his ball of white suddenly approaching very quickly. "I have your name and jutsu stored away. You no longer have any need to live!"

_This is it. _Young Kakashi also ran forward. His Sharingan analyzed the incoming ball of white energy, saw that the chakra was too widespread, that even if it could hit him, it would not even do serious damage. His Lighting Blade sizzled over the top of the jutsu, its superior amount of concentrated chakra going cleanly through. He saw Sudoar's eyes widen in shock, and then the Lighting Blade had struck him, in the chest, ripping through some organs, plenty of bones, and all of the muscle. The Lighting Blade popped through the other side of the body, and he allowed it to fade as he quickly withdrew his blood soaked hand.

Sudoar stumbled back, the gaping hole in his chest semi- cauterized from the heat of the Lighting Blade. He was taking in gasps of air, gagging somewhat. Blood spilled from behind his mask. He hit a pillar and clutched it for support as he tried, to no avail, no control his breathing.

Kakashi felt a tremor of pain, and he looked down. Sudoar's own jutsu had hit him in the leg. It wasn't serious, but with the combined force of the jutsu, and now total depletion of chakra, he slumped down to the floor, clutching the insult with both hands.

"Kakashi... Hatake..." To young and old Kakashi's shock _(Wait, what? Of course I know he survived!),_ Sudoar was standing upright. "That is a jutsu I won't ever forget... nor that name of yours."

"You're... beaten..."

"And so are you. You're in no condition to capture me, and I am in no condition to kill you, or finish destroying this place." He limped to the window, and whistled a high note. All four members of his squad appeared in a moment. "The mission is ending earlier... as a failure. We're leaving."

"But, sir, we won't get another opportunity like this!"

"Our contact will make another one, very soon. But for now, we leave." He glanced back as Kakashi as the woman Cecilia and the large man called Drel each lent support. "We will meet again, Kakashi Hatake. Very soon. And when we do, we will see who's philosophy is stronger." Then the Black Five was leaping away, and gone.

_This is so strange... of course, now I remember this... wait..._

He was feeling the sensastion of being sucked away, maybe like an ant in a vacuum cleaner. He gave a yell of panic, but there was no pain. The Palace, the Land of Dunes, his younger self, they were all fading away...

He was in a hallway. Doors lined it, several of them, with no more than an inch apart. The one in front of him was labeled "Fight in the Palace." To his surprise, the door suddenly warped, became disfigured. The handle began to melt, and then there was nothing but a blank, failed door. No way back in.

_What just happened..._

He felt the entire hallway shake, and he stumbled about until the shaking had stopped. _Earthquake? But where am I. Okay, let's recount. I took the blow from Sudoar in Naruto's place... then I went to... where did I go?_

He looked at the door. It was growing rotten, the wood becoming gnarled and moldy. _Where did I go? What's happening?_

Subconciously, he walked down the hallway. Another door read "Battle of Kannabi Bridge." _That's where Rin, Obito, Sensei and I fought the other three jonin... __no! What's happening! _The door was going the same way as the last, fading, the doorknob melting away. The words on the door disappeared. _This door, Battle of Kunnobi... no, Kushuni..._

_..._

_What's happening to me?_

Another shake wrenched him from the floor, and then the door that had formerly held a precious memory to him began to rot and mold. The earthquake ended, but this time, a ghostly voice seemed to flow down the hallway. _That sounded like Naruto! _"Naruto!"

_"Thanks, Kakashi sensei. It was an easy fight! But its kind of weird, I'm not really remembering the real action of the fight..."_

"What? Naruto!"

His own voice, but not from his mouth, also whispered eerily through the hallway. _"Sometimes, in the heat of battle, a ninja becomes focused only on survival, directing all of his thoughts towards the fight. Your memory may have not been working at full peak, thus causing details to slip."_

_This is the conversation I had with Naruto prior to the attack on the caravan..._

Naruto's voice switched tone. _"And then a burst of light blinded us! It seemed to cast a genjutsu on all the bandits, but Juruko told us to shut our eyes."_

_A burst of white light... the same light that Sudoar hit me with?_

And then the realization came crashing down on him. He stood there, until the words had completely faded. He stood there until he could not remember what had been said, or until he could not remember why he was standing still in the first place.

XXX

**Sakura**

"Juruko?"

"Yeah? What is it, girly? We're nearly to the village so you can relax now."

"Sorry, I didn't come to ask about that." She showed him the book she had found. She had spent quite a long time reading it. One of the merchants had had spare reading material in his cart and had offered her one book as a top for guarding the caravan. _The Stars: Myth or Reality?_

"Sakura, not hear," Juruko said, his voice solidifying into the authority he had used in the wagon.

"But there's something I found in here that you didn't tell us about!" _And that now seems to be the most realistic thing that's happened since this stupid mission began. _

Juruko looked down at her, his eyes beady. "And what's that?"

She opened the place she had bookmarked in the book. "Here, under the Stars' special abilities." She pointed. Juruko peered down, and his eyes, if possible, grew even more squinted. "Yeah, what about it."

_How is he not concerned or fazed by this! _"Did you _know _this was a thing the Gauntlet could do?!"

He sighed. "Yes..."

She noted the hesitant tone in his voice. "But?"

He looked at her. "It is a forbidden jutsu, a very dangerous, very chakra- consuming thing to use. It is on the scale of S-rank, but as it only able to be used with the Gauntlet, nor is its existence a 'real' thing."

"But when we were fighting those weaker bandits in the Dunes..."

"Yes, I recognized it. It was Sudoar, hiding somewhere, using the Jutsu."

"The book calls it "Memory Jutsu."

"Because that's almost exactly what it does. Addles the memory. Makes people forget. Someone like Sudoar, who forsakes memories of the past because he sees them as a burden, would not be seriously effected. But young children as yourselves, so full of life and cherished memories... it can be worse than death."

"You told us to shut our eyes when we were in the Wild Lands. Does that stop the jutsu?"

Juruko looked away from the book, off into the distance. He suddenly looked many years older, and Sakura wondered how old he was. "Scientifically speaking, the eyes are the most sensitive part of the body. They take in everything. Closing them when the jutsu goes off stops the larger portion of the effect. However, the Four Senses; touch, smell, hearing, and taste, are all vulnerable. However, they are not as crucial to memory, therefore not leading to as bad effects compared to when the eyes are open. Had you been looking when the light went off, you would be forgetting much more than the battle."

Sakura looked down, her eyes watering. "Then Kakashi sensei..."

"Is in critical condition, feeling the full effects. I am well aware a wielder of the Sharingan who is not of the Uchiha clan cannot fully close the eye. Also, in such close proximity to the blast, and worse still, concentrated, he is rapidly losing memories, starting from those most relevant to the actions that led to the predicament. His brain is trying to save him by giving memories of ways to stop the jutsu's effects, probably by assimilating information, but information is also apart of the memory." Juruko looked down at her, saw her tears. "He is destroying himself."

"I hate this!" she screamed at him. "I knew this mission would be out of our league! I should have tried to make Kakashi sensei abandon it, its just all my fault-"

"Sakura, look at me." Juruko gripped her shoulders firmly, and she stopped crying from the pain. "Do you want to honor your sensei by weeping, by making accusation on yourself? No, he would want you to carry on living, to live life as you see it. Sudoar is right in some ways. Memories _can _be an obstacle, a burden. They can make a ninja falter in his actions, leading to his death. But they also give us the power to look onto the happier things in life. You will always have your sensei in your memories. Honor him by remembering him."

She stopped the tears, flung them away. "How... how could I have been so foolish. What would Kakashi sensei think of me..."

"He would think you're only being human. But always think of the happier times you've shared with him. Then he will always be with you."


	7. Chapter 7- Visions of Hatred

He sat in the great chair, slumped to one side. One arm was heavily bandaged, while various other bandages covered his side.

"Are we clear?"

The man in the chair grunted.

He sighed. "You don't seem to take this very seriously, for someone with your credentials."

A harsh laugh. "And you seem to speak larger than you should."

"Do not displease My Lord, Sudoar. You of all people should know that."

"Tell it to my contact in the village. Leave me to recover."

"Kakashi is incapacitated, yet you seem to be in a rush. Why?"

"I saw it on the boy. The yellow haired kid. I wasn't sure at first, but I saw it."

His interest peaked up. "What did you see?"

The other seemed beyond hearing. He was lost in his own fantasy. "Soon, they'll both be mine..."

There was no point in staying. Without a word, he left the man called Sudoar in his chair to dream up his own world.

_It's almost time. He'll be waiting for me. _He smiled. _Time to go to the top box. _

XXX

**Naruto**

"Naruto!"

_So it only takes nearly dying for Sakura to actually say my name without anger. _He looked up at the clouds, lost in fantasty. _Maybe I should do it more often._

"Naruto!" Sakura was hugging him tightly, and he felt the air being crushed out of his lungs. "When did you get up? Oh, we've been so worried about you! With both you and..." Her voice trailed off, and her hold on him loosened up.

Naruto felt his throat constrict as he fought to keep his voice calm. "He's still down, then? He hasn't woken up or anything?"

Sakura lowered her voice and explained everything Juruko had told her about the Memory Jutsu. "He thinks there might be someone in the city who can help Kakashi sensei," she finished. "You can see the top of the Palace of the Dunes from here. Juruko says we're going to be reaching the gates in only fifteen minutes. There's going to be a welcoming ceremony for the return of the caravan's safety, but afterwards we should be able to find help for Kakashi sensei."

Naruto nodded his appreciation for her plan. "You're always thinking ahead of us, Sakura," he said gallantely, and to his childlike pleasure, she blushed slightly. However, he detected that there were other emotions bristling beneath. "What is it, Sakura? What's wrong?"

Her rosy cheeks faded, and instead turned almost a sickly pale, causing alarm to flare in the blonde genin. "It's Sasuke," she began. "I think he's taking Kakashi sensei's beating very..." She fumbled for words. "Personally. He's become a little colder towards me and Juruko, and constantly asks to be alone. I'm not even sure what it is right now..."

Naruto shrugged. "Sounds like everyday Sasuke."

She shook her head. "Naruto, you remember the fight in the Forest of Death, during the Chunin Exams."

"Of course!"

"The Mark that creep Orochimaru gave Sasuke... it's like... it's like its emerging again. Personality wise." She seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Naruto, it was one of the most traumatic things I've ever gone through. Seeing him as he was... like a possessed monster." She bent close to him. "It's happening again, Naruto. He thinks Kakashi sensei's condition is his fault, and somehow the anger he feels for that is acting like a signal for the Mark."

Naruto closed his eyes. _I remember Kakashi sensei telling me about the Mark on Sasuke's neck... but it hadn't sounded as bad as this! Besides, I thought the stupid thing was sealed or something._

"I'll try and talk to Sasuke," he said aloud. "Don't worrk, Sakura, I'll have him back to normal before we reach the city."

Her eyes, so full of water, only blinked in acknowledgement before she turned away back to the caravan.

XXX

**Sasuke **

_Killing Juruko would mean having to have some knowledge of his Lightning Jutsu. Since I haven't as much seen a whiff of it, I ned to provoke some sort of fight, or see some sort of conflict, in which my Sharingan can observe and store it away-_

_What am I thinking?_

He knelt down on the dune, distantly aware that he was giving no protection to the caravan, and was therefore probably worrying Sakura immensely.

_She just doesn't understand what I need to do. She just allows emotions to get in the way... _

The caravan was like an army of ants moving away, and the merchants and horses like the food being hauled back the ant hole. He wondered if the leaders of the Land of Dunes even cared if any merchants survived. They were probably only concerned that the shipments of vital materials would reach their land.

_They know how to control their people. They have power..._

His neck throbbed inquisitively, and he grabbed the multi- cursed Mark veneously, wanting to rip it off of his skin, if only to stop the bursts of random pain. It had been burning frequently since the talk with Heyuut and Juruko in the diplomat's caravan, and he had simply gone away from the caravan so that he could just collapse to the ground in agony in peace.

_How do I control this damn thing?_

"Sasuke? Sasuke, where are you!"

_No way! Naruto? _He crouched, hid himself. His clothes stood out rather brilliantely in the dunes, but knowing Naruto and his intelligence, it probably wouldn't make any difference. He peered around the side of the dune, and saw his teammate jumping around, hand over his eyes, searching for him.

_What does he want?_

"Sasuke, I just want to talk! You know...uh... guy on guy talk!" His voice was unertain, and his facial expression said that he didn't even know where he was getting these words from. "Sasuke, come on..."

The plea in his friend's voice softened his resolve to stay hidden. He stood up and called, "Naruto, over here!"

He turned and saw him. "Sasuke! What're you doing all the way over here!"

The brash Uchiha immeaditly regretted his decision. "I... don't know."

Even Naruto could not have fallen for that. "You don't know." His face grew concerned. "Sasuke, Sakura was telling me you've been acting kind of strangely lately... not your usual cold, grumpy, insulting-"

"I understand what you're trying to say, Naruto," he said through slightly clenched teeth. _He has the guts to say that to my face?_

The blonde weasel gave a toothy smile. "Just kidding around, Sasuke. But, are you, you know... feeling okay?" The words were lame, and them coming from Naruto made them even less impressive.

Anger suddenly clouded his judgement. _He talks this way because he thinks he's stronger tham me! That's the reason. He thinks he's my equal! _His eyes drilled holes of pure hate. _He is _nowhere _on my level!_

"Sasuke?"

"Let's fight, Naruto."

Whatever response the blonde was looking for, it was not that. "What?"

"We never got the chance to during the Chunin Exams. Don't you want to do it right now?"

"But we're in the middle of a really dangerous mission-"

"Fight me!"

Naruto was looking positively alarmed now. "Sakura was right. Something's wrong with you." He began walking towards him. "Sasuke, let me see the Mark on your neck."

Sasuke dropped down into a combat pose. _I won't let him waltz up to me like we're on the same ground, like we're allies-_

_But we are allies! Stop! STOP!_

To his horror, a voice that wasn't his responded. It was so familiar... like it was coming from a faded record...

_"He'll come looking for me soon." __He looked up. The Grass Ninja was there- no, Orochimari- his face half melted, the single snake eye peering through the distorted flesh. "He'll come seeking my power. And I will be waiting." Another voice, also strangely faded. "If we meet again, it'll be too soon!" That was Sakura. And the pain, the pain was enormous, it was devouring him, eating away at him like a parasite. The bite was fresh, was burning and thirsting for usage. "He'll come looking for me..."_

"Sasuke!..."

_"If you use that Mark of yours, I'll also have to stop to match." Kakashi was looking down at him, his voice calm but his single eye looking on him with serious menace. "Good luck." _

"Sasuke, come on!...Wake up!..."

_"You're not strong enough." Itachi's voice, so full of mockery, was like a shout in his ear. "Come find me when you have these eyes. Come find me when you have power." And the Mark was threatening to explode, was demanding, begging, cajoling, doing anything it could to get him to use it. He pleaded for it to stop, but all he heard was laughter, sinsiter and cold, from the same lips that had given him the burden in the first place..._

"SASUKE!" He felt something hit his face with tremendous force, an then he was on the ground, his clothes accumulating dirt and grime. Something was also clutching him, trying to protect him, in an embrace that nevertheless annoyed him.

"Naruto? Get off me!"

"Sasuke..."

"Get off me! I was distracted, but now we can fight-"

Another voice interrupted his sentence. "Yes, now we can."

XXX

**Other**

_Stupid brat. He broke the Memory Jutsu on his friend and stopped him from taking the giant shuriken. _He shook his head. _Kids. So full of themselves. _He caught the one with black hair looking at him, finally aware of his presence. He smiled, gestured for him to look at the blonde kid's back, to where the giant shuriken had impaled him. He watched with satisfaction as the youth took in the horror of his friend in pain. _I'll take away that pain. And the necklace. _Oh yes, he could see it. The blonde's akward collapse on the ground had allowed his necklace to slip from beneath his shirt, so that the precious green stone was visible. He was so distracted by thirst that he didn't notice the black haired boy had tossed some kunai at him until a few moments before impact. He held up the Gauntlet, and they deflected the incoming metal with ease. _These kids need to learn life is not as easy as throwing a few toys at someone._

The black haired kid, the one that Horosho had said also possessed the Sharingan, was employing hand signs, probably some fire jutsu. _I'll toy with him a little. I'll let him know that it's useless to resist. Then I'll take the Star._

True to his observation, the kid launched some fire at me. He shouted the jutsu, but it was drowned out by the explosion of flame that blossomed from his mouth. He recoginzed it as the Uchiha clan's legendary **Fireball Jutsu, **and he cursed that he did not have Konoha's Star fragment that he could simply absorb the jutsu and lock it into the Gauntlet's memory system. He was content, however, to simple blast it away. **"Water Style: Water Gun!"** He allowed the gauntlet to pour its knowledge into him, and the blast of water that erupted from his mouth doused out the incoming flames. _The kid isn't worth using Dark Style. _

The steam blanketed the space in between them, and he made to send in another water bullet to finish the job, but before he could, he saw more beads of fire slash out towards him. _Phoenix Flowers! This kid's got some talent, but just nowhere close to beating him._ He jumped into the air, allowed the discs of flame to fly beneath him-

"Nice try!" To his suprise, he felt arms wrap around his chest tightly, constricting his hands from performing any jutsu. **"Lion Combo!" **_What the hell did he say- ah, taijutsu. I see... very talented indeed. _He felt himself being directed midair by the young Uchiha's body, felt himself twisting in midair, becoming slightly dizzy as spiraled ominously to the ground, with nothing to break his fall-

**"Earth Style: Mole Burrow!" **He felt himself effortlessly hit the ground and drill through it like butter, while he heard the loud _Smash _of the kid hitting the ground with enough force that he felt the ground above him shake. _That definetly would've done me no good if it had succeeded. _He allowed himself to dig back to the surface, where the black haired kid was panting, but suprisingly upright.

And there was something in his hand that made him stop cold. _No, Kakashi wouldn't have..._

"You really caught me in a bad mood," said the kid, and he felt himself grow slightly concerned. "I was about to fight my friend here, but it looks like we alwas are going to have interruptions. People have no sense of manners, it would seem."

He found his tongue. "Where did you find that jutsu?"

The boy held up the small ball of electricity in his hands. "Oh, this? Just a little token from my sensei." He lowered it, stooped into a running crouch. _Just like Kakashi! I can't believe he taught this brat the Lighting Blade! Wait, not the Lightning Blade. _He focused more closely on the kid's hand. _No, it's some sort of weaker version. And the sound is like a thousand birds... a bit different from the Blade. Kakashi must have taught him a weaker version._

"You know, for a kid, you have a lot of talent," he said grudgingly. "But I will not allow anyone else to possess that jutsu except for Kakashi and I- well, soon just me. Your sensei will soon die from the Memory Jutsu I've placed on him."

The kid seemed to grow even more infuriated by this. His red eyes- _So Morosho was right there, this kid _is _the last of the Uchiha- _were blazing with uncontrolled rage. And there was something- something _growing_ on him-

It did not take him long to know what it was. "You've been in contact with Orochimaru." He did not make it a question. This intented robbery was becoming more of an educational lesson... one of which he actually enjoyed. "My my, you're a bit more than just a genin, aren't you? Last of the Uchiha, possessor of the Lightning Blade, and now you even have this guy's immensely rare Curse Mark." He supressed a chuckle. "You and your teamate are just full of suprises, aren't you?"

The other did not respond. He was obviously fighting to keep control of the his miniature- Lightining Blade, as well as fighting to keep the Curse Mark under control. "You can't keep both under control and still hope to fight me," he mocked. "One will have to be given dominance-"

**_"CHIDORI!"_**The kid foolishly bolted at him, Orochimaru's Curse Mark still bristling like a sentient being on his flesh. And the jutsu, the Chidori, it was changing... little tentacles of darkness were seeping in, like venom. Not nearly like his own Dark Style, but it was definetly similiar enough.

Enough that he decided to end it here. **"Dark Style: Lightning Blade!"**

To his amusement, the boy did not falter upon seeing his counterpart. He recklessly threw himself forward-

The meeting of the two jutsu, so malevolent of intent and usage, was like an atom exploding. He felt himself leaning back,unable to stop, and his respect for the boy doubled. However, the reaction soon ended. The silently released chakra, with nowhere to go, expanded out into the air around them in the form of superheated energy. He was quite fine, the Gauntlet having performed excellently. The boy...

_"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." _He was on his knees, the Curse Mark gone. He was clutching a large, incredibly bloody wound in his left arm. Sudoar's Lightning Blade had cleanly cut through the Chidori, equalling and then exceeding its power within nanoseconds. He had then proceeded to allow the Blade to penetrate the boy.

He was Sudoar, the wielder of the Gaunlet of the Slayer.

Mercy was a word that had never touched his lips. And it never would.

"Your strength is admirable, child. But even I know how to control anger. I no longer utilize emotions, boy. They are not tools meant to be used in a ninja's arsenal. Memories are the same. Why cling to such worthless objects? They only remind you of things of the past." He bent forward, the Dark Lightning Blade forming in his hand again. "Always look to the future, descendant of the Uchiha. Then you will know power."

The kid's eyes flickered with the last word, but before he could observe any more curious reactions, he noticed that for a moment, the Sun above him had faded. "What-?"

An orange blur-

"Sorry, buddy, but we're out of here!"

_The blonde genin! I was to focused on the other one..._

He brought down his Lightning Blade anyways, where the blonde fool was desperately trying to scoop up the black haired Uchiha, who was still awake but unable to stand. Blood stained the blonde's orange jacket. _Let me add some more-_

**"Sakura Blizzard Jutsu!" **A hailstorm of kunai raced towards, more than he could block with Gauntlet, more so that he was in the middle of striking the two brats with Lightning Blade-

The kunai knives exploded in midair around him, causing him to be tossed around like a ragdoll momentarily. He saw the blurs of the kids moving around him, felt his Lightning Blade strike the ground. When he was able to stand, he was alone. The caravan was already entering the village, the kids nowhere in sight.

_So close. I'll have them tomorrow. _He allowed a smirk to touch his mouth. _Then I'll have them all._

XXX

**Naruto**

"That was... to close... Sakura." He panted heavily, his chest creaking with pressure, and his back sitll in pain from where the giant shuriken had impaled him. He had managed to pull it out during Sasuke's fight with Sudoar, and had barely been able to save his teammate. _If it weren't for Sakura, then none of us would have made it._

"I was able to track your footsteps in the dunes, and then I heard the Chidori. I waited for the right opening... I was almost to late."

_She's too right._

They reached the end of the caravan, like a snake trying to enter it's burrow. They could hear cheering a little ways ahead of them, and the walls of the Land of Dunes was easily visible now. The caravan was already entering the gates. _I hope the caravan was alright while we were gone..._

He found his hands trembling as they held Sasuke._That guy was so strong... he was way out of our league. Its like when we were fighting Zabuza back when we were first starting out... but this... I thought we had been growing really strong, but he beat both me and Sasuke like nothing! He even took out Kakashi sensei..._

"Naruto, put me down." Sasuke was awake, his eyes bleary, his shoulder still sopping wet with red, but he was fully conscience. Naruto nodded and put him on his feet. The Uchiha stumbled for a moment, but quickly regained his bleeding. Sakura pulled out some heavy bandages from within her shirt and began wrapping of Sasuke's arm. He did not look like he was in pain, but Naruto had seen Sudoar strike him. _That attack looked a lot like Kakashi sensei's Lightning Blade. And we all know that jutsu is enough to lay a killing blow pretty easily... he must be in a lot of pain._

"That's all I can do for now, Sasuke," Sakura said after a few more moments. Sasuke moved his arm around experimentally. The bandages grew a little red, and he wined, but otherwise he was able to move his arm more freely. "We can have your arm looked at when we get into the Palace."

"Right... and... thanks for helping." Naruto stared at Sasuke, suprised to har the words come out. _I don't think my words really got to him, but somehow he's changed. _He grimaced. _Maybe it was the Curse Mark. I definetly saw it activate. It must've scared him._

It certainly looked like that. A haunted look was in Sasuke's eyes, like he had seen pure horror for a moment. _If that's what it took to wake him up from whatever possessed him before... then I'm almost glad the Curse Mark woke._

Sakura, who had obviously not seen the Curse Mark activate, was looking as if all her dreams had come true. "You really mean it, Sasuke?"

"I do." Sincerity.

She hugged him, and Naruto had to fight not to cry. _One moment she's all over me, but now its Sasuke. I'll never get her. _He looked at the caravan. "Guys, we should probably catch up to the merchants and Juruko. They're probably looking for us in the celebration."

She blushed, released Sasuke, who had not resisted her hug. "Right, let's split up and go along the sides of the caravan."

They did so, Naruto and Sasuke going on the right side and Sakura on the left. The walls soon loomed over them, casting the wagon and ninja in its comforting shadow. The large, wooden gates were ajar. There was loud cries from within the walls, of joy and happiness. Naruto put on his smile and waved as they began to pass the assmembled crowds of people. _So this is the Land of Dunes. I like them already! _Someone threw a rose at him, and he caught it, held it up in the air. The cheers continued.

_How come we never met with this village before! They're all so nice! _Something caught his eye, something shining up above. He looked up, and his jaw dropped. He had seen the Palace from afar, but he had had no idea it was _this _huge. It towered high into the sky, several kilometers into the air, like it was reaching for the heavens. Glass and marble studded the building, but what had caught his eye was the parapet. It was laden in gold, and its reflection was enough to nearly blind him. He placed a hand over his eyes. He saw several people in the top box, including what looked like the Daiymo and his advisors.

There was also someone else, no, two people. One was sitting, a large hat shielding most of his face. The other was also weairng his hat, but he was standing up, giving a clearer view of his face-

He felt Sasuke tense up, the sudden pressure building up in his friend. "Sasuke? What is it?"

Either he could not hear a reply over the crowd, or the Uchiha was simply at a loss for words. Naruto followed his gaze, saw he was also looking at the parapet. _What..._

He also froze. The man sitting down, who's face had been looking down on the caravan, was suddenly fixated on them.

On Sasuke.

And Naruto would never forget those eyes. Those pityless, greedy eyes.

Two pairs of them.

_Orochimaru. And Kabuto. _He clenched his fists, fought the urge to shout a challenge, an insult.

_Forget Sudoar. Forget an A-rank mission. Forget their stupid glove thing... This just got so many times worse._

The people around them suddenly did not seem too comforting. The walls did not seem to offer protection. The Palace of Dunes did not seem as beautiful, as inviting. They were alone, in an unknown land, with an incapacitated sensei, an ally they barely knew, and now two of the worst criminals in the entire continent.

Alone.


	8. Chapter 8- The Land of Dunes

"My Lord…"

"Not now, Kabuto."

"Your hands require attention…"

The other lifted them up, saw the bloody, tattered flesh. "Not now." He looked up, towards the third man, who was kneeling before him. "Your explanation is most unsatisfactory, Sudoar."

"I ask for the chance tomorrow."

"That was the intended plan, was it not? Instead, you tried to kill them yourself…"

The kneeling man lifted his head, and the one called Kabuto sucked in his breath. "The Uchiha boy, the one called Sasuke, he's yours. I have no care for him-"

"Then why did you nearly kill him? I could see the wound all the way from the top-box."

The one called Sudoar stood up. "I wield the Gauntlet, not you. I will dictate how I work. I control this operation, from beginning to end. You are a benefactor, nothing more."

The one called Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "We shall see."

XXX

**Sakura**

The motionless body of Kakashi Hatake was strewn across the hospital bed like a dead animal, his arms ungraciously drooping from the sides of the bed. His head was lolled to one side, the one visible eye closed. Multiple machines of various jobs were attached to him.

He was pale enough that she could almost not tell where the sheets and skin met.

_Oh, Kakashi sensei, please, please wake up. _Her plea went unheard. Their sensei was still helpless.

"We've done several tests. Vital signs, organ mechanics, everything relating to the body is perfectly fine. But his brain activity is spiraling out of control." The doctor put a hand up to his hair, ran it through distractedly. "His cells are being destroyed rapidly, and his entire body is reacting to try and save them. Whatever he was hit with, however, is beyond our capabilities. Only a miracle can save him… I'm sorry."

"I appreciate what you've been able to do, Doctor Maclen," Juruko said tiredly. His fake voice and real tone was enough to cause Sakura to force down a sob.

_This is just so unreal, it must be a dream. Its just…_

"I will continue to monitor him, of course," Doctor Maclen continued, putting down a monitor he had just used on Kakashi sensei. "I will inform you and your team of any changes in his behavior."

Sakura found her tongue. "Thank you."

Naruto and Sasuke remained silent beside her. Nether had been able to find words to describe what they were feeling. _Kakashi taught Sasuke, and Naruto looked up to Kakashi in turn. They were all closer than I was…_

"Sakura." Juruko was looking at her, his voice gone professional. The doctor must have exited already. "We need to talk about why Sudoar was after your teammates. You two should get over here." Sasuke and Naruto walked silently over. "Now, I trust you've briefed Naruto on the Stars, correct?"

They nodded. Sakura had explained everything about the Stars during Kakashi sensei's medical exam.

"Good. Then you are aware that he was more than likely looking for one when he attacked?"

_What? How could one of us have the damn thing? We're just genin, and these Stars are supposed to be guarded by the best ninja in a village!_

"Do one of you have something that looks like this?" Juruko pulled out his own Star fragment, the blue hue like _Lapis Lazuli, _shining brightly like it had its own internal energy source.

"I have this." To Sakura's surprise, Naruto reached for a string around his neck she had never noticed, and pulled it. A small, light green stone was glistening as the center of beauty. _That sure as hell looks like the Lightning Star, alright._

Juruko looked stunned. "How… how did you get it?"

"Granny Tsunade gave it to me, after I beat Kabuto. She told me it was a token of luck-"

"What on earth was she thinking?" Juruko interrupted. "It's completely understandable that as one of the Sannin she would possess such an object, but what in _hell _was she thinking, giving it do a genin who could die at any moment?"

Naruto grew red with anger. "I'm strong! I'm not going to lose this, are you mad!"

"_You do know what it is, don't you!"_

Naruto started at Juruko's livid face. The older man looked very much like he was going to strangle Naruto until he did know what it was.

Sakura blinked. _Juruko's not serious… I mean, it _looks _like the Lightning Star, but why would the Fifth Hokage just give something of that value to Naruto?_

"Because she didn't know what it was, either," Sasuke interjected. He had obviously been thinking the same thing as her. "The rumor was that the First Hokage had given it to her as a present. He obviously expected her to guard it as a treasured possession of his own sake, not something on the scale of the village."

"It would have provided a good cover," Sakura added. "Just a family token? No reason to take it from her, right?"

Juruko, however, was not buying it. "Your sensei is the way he is _because _of Stars like that!" he growled. "Yet, your precious Hokage gave such a weapon to a twelve-year old genin, such an inexperienced and immature boy!?" He snorted. "It won't be long before we surpass your village, at the way its going."

She felt the sudden urge to punch Juruko, but withheld the desire.

There was a tense silence, interrupted only by the occasional beeps and blips from the machines hooked up to Kakashi. Naruto finally spoke. "So, what do you want, then?"

"I hope it's quite obvious."

Naruto narrowed his eyes menacingly. "You're not having the necklace. It's staying with me."

Juruko took a step forward, and the three of them subconsciously moved backwards. "If you think I'm going to allow you to continue holding onto one of the last Stars left in capable hands, then you're stupider than you look. _I _will be holding onto it, from here on out."

_He has a point… but Naruto's done a good job of protecting it! Why should he have to give it up!_

"No deal. Get out of the way." Naruto beckoned for the others to follow him, and he made for the exit.

Juruko moved so that he blocked the way. "I will kill you if you don't give me the Fire Star," he stated calmly. "I am not lying. I will not allow you to endanger the entire continent by allowed Sudoar to kill you and take the Star for the Memory Jutsu."

They stopped. Sasuke was quietly moving his hand towards his pouch holding kunai, and Sakura felt herself doing the same. Naruto, however, had not moved, but was standing defiantly in front of the much larger man. "You think you know better, because you're an adult, is that it?" Naruto snarled. "You think I'm too weak to hold onto one of the only things of real importance left in my life?"

"Yes," Juruko said flatly. "Final warning, Naruto. I will try to not lay a killing blow, but do not think I will hesitate not to."

"Then you're more insane than Sudoar," Naruto ground out. Juruko flinched, as if the blonde had struck him. "What is the point of the word 'precious,' then? If one cannot trust someone else with something they treasure above all else, then there is no point in the word." He pointed to Juruko's left hand, where he still held his Star fragment. "That's the most important thing to you, isn't it? Then how come your Kage didn't ask you for it? _Because he trusts you with it!"_

Sakura looked at Juruko. _He doesn't care, he's going to kill him. _She looked at Sasuke, who was hiding several kunai behind his back. _We have to protect him._

"Your words speak true, boy." Juruko was looking at Naruto now, but no longer with death in his eyes. Instead, there was something else, something bright in them. _Hope? Confidence? I can't tell… but at least he doesn't look like he wants to kill him._

Naruto was looking equally calm now. "As long as you have faith in that person, believe that they can protect what is precious, then you have nothing to fear. Just trust me."

"I trust you, Naruto Uzimaki… and your friends. Guard it well." Without another word, Juruko backed out of the exit, into the day. They followed immediately, but when they had been bathed in the warm sun and their eyes had adjusted, he was gone.

XXX

**Naruto**

He blinked at the sudden gust of chilly air. The street was marginally filled with people, none of them Juruko. He had indeed vanished. _He's quick- he should teach me to move like that._

"So now what?" Sakura asked aloud. "We don't have any mission statement, no orders to follow. We were told to guard the caravan and we did, so now what?"

He rubbed his head, thinking. "I don't know..." His hand suddenly began to move down, until suddenly he was rubbing his stomach. "Maybe we grab something to eat? Some ramen maybe..."

"Can't you think of something besides food when you're bored?" she asked, irritated. "What about you, Sasuke? What do you want?"

"Let's go find a ramen shop."

The very words themselves sounded like an avalanche. Naruto felt his jaw drop. _Did he just say he wants ramen, too? What the heck, he never agrees with me! _"Sounds good, then," Naruto said akwardly. He noticed Sakura was looking positively stunned. She probably had a better feeling on Sasuke's emotions than Naruto did, and thus, was probably feeling more shocked than he was.

Sasuke was trying to keep his calm, cool look, but it was slowly slipping. "Come on, let's go eat."

They set off, looking around at the buildings for any sign of noodle or food they enjoyed. The shops were mostly filled with various jewels and precious metals, mainly gold, and Naruto remembered that Kakashi sensei had told them the Land of Dunes supplied a lot of the gold in Konoha. Eventually, Sakura became attracted to one of the jewelry shops, seeing a shiny but inexpensive looking necklace being held up by a sweaty merchant. Naruto noticed that he had been with the caravan they had protected.

"That looks so pretty!" Sasuke and Naruto paused and held back as she walked up to the vendor. "How much for it?"

"Twenty thousand ryo."

Naruto choked on some saliva in his mouth. "Did he really say twenty _thousand _ryo? For that little necklace?" Sasuke nodded indifferently, watching the scene unfold.

The pink haired kunochi was thinking along Naruto's lines. "You can't be serious," she fumbled. "That's quite a large sum, compared to what it is in Konoha!"

The merchant's nose twitched. "Leaf Ninja, eh? Well, I suppose you are used to lower prices back in your village. I'm sorry, but I can't go lower."

"No haggling?"

The merchant twitched his nose again. "Things are different here, Miss. There isn't room for haggling. The prices are set to how the daiymo wants them, and we sell by them. There's nothing else to say, so either offer the money or please move, there might be another customer coming."

Sakura blinked at the sudden dismissal, but did not move. "What do you mean, the daiymo sets the prices? Why don't you choose a price that a traveler could buy?"

Naruto's stomach grumbled loudly, and he blushed in embarrassment as both Sakura and the merchant looked over at him.

The man sighed. "Well, it's not like I'll make much business here anyways. I know we offered you gifts for helping protect the caravan on the journey, but the least I can do is offer you some food, if you're hungry. There isn't any decent restaurant around except for the daiymo's personal food court. Please, follow me."

XXX

_Oh man, this is the best! This guy really knows how to cook!_

He slurped down the last of his noodles, his stomach slightly bulging with its latest meal. He was, not suprisingly, the first one done. Sakura and Sasuke were barely a fourth of the way done with their ramen. He leaned forward to Sakura. "Psst, Sakura, you gonna finish that?"

She whacked him over the head. "Where's your manners, Naruto!?"

"Ow..." She turned back to the merchant, and he quickly thrust his chopsticks into her bowl, taking another mouthful of noodles without her noticing.

The merchant had been talking for a while. "Ever since the Land of Dunes entered the Triad, life in the city has steadily grown worse. We originally had a very profitable trade with neighbouring countries, kept a low profile. We were exempt from all of the Shinobi World Wars, though we often allied with the Land of Rice so we could receive plenty of food, as we lack any major agricultural fields." He paused, sipped from his drink. "When the Triad was formed, things went downhill."

Naruto whisked away another goblet of noodle.

"But how could the Triad be affecting you so dearly?" Sasuke questioned, grabbing his own cup and sipping. "We were told it was a military alliance, not economic."

"In paper, it is military," the merchant said sadly. "However, the leader of the Land of Rice, or whatever its called today, has been taking more and more of an interest in our gold production. The Land of Rice has been siphoning more and more of our production from our two large gold mines, Heaven's Breath Mine and Darkwater Mine. Prices here have escelated ramatically because we almost don't have enough gold ourselves, cripping our business. The daiymo from the Land of Rice was an agreeable fellow, but he has stopped appearing before our own in the meetings of the Triad. Instead, he sends a representative of his... I don't know his name, unfortunately. However, this man is the one responsible for taking away our gold production."

Sasuke's cup suddenly exploded in his hands, and Naruto saw his knuckles were white with suddenly released pressure. "Sorry."

"This representative," Sakura continued, grabbing her napkin and handing it to Sasuke, "He's in the city now, isn't he?"

The merchant laughed. "He is, actually. He looks rather sickly, very pale and strange looking arms; he's been sending one of _his _aides until recently. This is the first time I've seen him in about a year, and let me tell you, he looks a lot worse for wear." The merchant finished his drink, and suddenly his eyes watered. "Life is so rough now. Excuse me, I need to get a different refill." He stood up, and went into his kitchen.

Sakura leaned over, and Naruto hastily withdrew his chopsticks. "I think it's safe to say that the sickly representative is Orochimaru," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "What other reason would he be in the top box for, unless he was someone really important?"

A slight cough from Sasuke. "I think we should try to ignore his presence, and focus on Sudoar and the Black Five. They're running loose still."

"Running loose _outside _the Land of Dunes," Sakura said worriedly. "Orochimaru is inside, with us. We already know he's even more dangerous than Sudoar, which means we have to be very careful about what we do. Since he's a high dignitary, that means we can't just attack him or anything, that would be a crime. Its best we try to sidestep him while keeping an eye on him as well."

"Good plan, Sakura."

"Thanks Nar-" She blinked at her empty bowl. "What-?"

The sound of feet signified the merchant's return. "Forgive me," he said, his eyes now dry. He sat back down, and Naruto detected a strange scent in the air. He realized it was coming from the man's drink. Sakura and Sasuke also wrinkled their noses.

"Children, I am afraid I will have to cut your visit to a close soon," he apologized, "But I need to... relieve myself of my pain. Is there any questions you have for me?"

"None," Sakura replied automatically. She was looking at the contents of his cup. "We'll leave you to it, sir."

The merchant looked at her with an almost pitiful look in his eyes. "Thank you for what you have done for us, and for respecting my wish. Stay safe." He drained his cup in one gulp, and coughed heavily. He withdrew a much larger bottle from within his clothes, and began to swallow furiously. As they left the house, they could hear his body slump to the ground, snoring peacefully.

_Good meal, _Naruto thought happily. _That really hit the spot! The guy was a bit weird, of course, but hey, he sure can cook could._

"That man is going to kill himself if he keeps that up," Sasuke commented. "Drinking as much as that as he did, and so quickly."

Sakura nodded sadly.

"Wait, what was he drinking?" Naruto asked stupidly.

"Saki... he was drowning his sorrows."

Naruto felt regret for what he had thought about the man. "Oh..."

"This city looks good on the outside," Sasuke stated, looking down the street at the merchants still shouting prices. "But this whole Triad organization is started to break down the inhabitants on the inside. It's sad to see."

Naruto sighed, then put on a toothy grin. "Hey, you guys want to go see if another merchant will feed us?"

Sakura turned furiously towards him. "We are not going to every merchant and taking food from them-!"

"Sakura, no, wait, I was kidding-!"

"N-no-"

Sakura proceeded to smash him in the head, ambivalent to Sasuke's sudden immobility.

"Learn some table manners, Naruto, then I won't have to hit you as much!"

"Sakura, wait, come on!"

"Ah, there you three are!"

They all froze, became motionless like Sasuke. Naruto's eyes bugged out of his head. _What on earth is he doing?_

"Well, I've been searching the city for _hours _on end, looking for you guys," Kabuto said dryly, dusting away some grime on his clothes. "How have you guys been?"

"You-you think you can just waltz up to us and act like were friends?" Naruto spluttered furiously. "You're a traitor-"

"Just like every ninja in this village except for you three and Kakashi, I know. Please, don't insult my intelligence, Naruto." he frowned slightly, put a hand to his rib-cage. "Especially since our last encounter, you have no idea how badly I would like to repay you for that."

Sasuke stepped forward, cool and commanding. "What do you want, Kabuto? I'm sure you think you're safe as Orochimaru's aide, but we would still gladly kill you if you provoke us."

Kabuto laughed. "Now, I wouldn't be foolish enough to do something like that. No, I'm actually here, believe it or now, to invite you to dine with us this evening, with Representative Orochimaru and the Daiymo of the Land of Dunes. Formal attire, please."

_He can't be serious! Inviting us, the enemy, to have a formal dinner! No way! _"You're out of your mind!" Naruto exploded. "Like hell we'd dine with you and that snake! Get out of here before I kill you!"

"We would be honored to attend." They threw startled glances at Sasuke. "We will need the formal attire, though. You can supply?"

Kabuto's eyes vanished behind the reflection of the sun on his glasses. "Of course, I'll deliver them to Kakashi's bedside for you to collect." Kabuto handed them a small card, which Sasuke took wordlessly. "These are the direction to take from when you enter the Palace. You would get lost without them. Be at the Palace within three hours." He stepped forward, bent forward towards Naruto. "And no funny business, Naruto," he whispered maliciously. "We're all friends here in the Land of Dunes. I'd hate to warrant an execution when I could so gladly kill you on the battlefield in real combat."

"Don't bet on it, you filthy traitor," Naruto breathed back. Kabuto leaned back and smiled loosely at them. He bowed, and left.

"Sasuke, what were you thinking, accepting something like that?" Sakura asked immediately once the other was for sure gone. "This could easiy be a trap to get us!"

"It wouldn't make logical sense for this to be a trap. We're on a registered mission with Konoha. If they were to kill us, it would initiate aggression between the Land of Dunes and Konoha, something the Triad could barely match militarily." Sasuke looked down at the card, reading it intently. "I know Orochimaru has intentions not in our favor, but I'm sure he doesn't want to start a war right now. Not in his condition."

Naruto looked up to the sky, where the sun was beginning its slow descent down over the dunes. A single star was shining in the sky, the first of the millions that would soon appear. "I don't know what is going to happen at the dinner, but I'm definitely not going unarmed. "Best we bring a few ninja tools and stuff them somewhere."

Sakura nodded. "Our goal is to stay alive so we can figure out what to do about Sudoar. If we die tonight, we'll have failed in that... have failed Kakashi sensei."

"Last thing I want to do," Naruto agreed. In the sky, another star dimly came into existence. "Time to dine with the snake."


	9. Chapter 9- Dining with the Snake

**Well, I don't know to much about statistics on Fanfiction, but hey, thanks for a thousand views! Again, I have no idea if that's a lot or not, but it makes me feel good knowing others have viewed, and hopefully enjoying my writing.**

**Things are going to be picking up a bit faster now, since I didn't intend for this to be immensely long, but the way I think its going, it could very well extend for a while. At any rate, get ready for some interesting developments in the story!**

They were in the cover of darkness, shrouded by night. The moon shone brightly overhead.

The man called Sudoar spoke first. "We must keep this short. They are having a dinner in the Palace tonight."

He nodded. "I am well aware; I am in attendance."

The one called Sudoar chuckled. "I keep forgetting how you've been able to slip so quickly through the ranks."

"He trusts me, that is all that is important."

He lifted the Gauntlet, allowed the moon to make it shine. "The Stars are going to be ours tomorrow."

"If the three brats and Juruko don't get in the way. And now that you're down a man-"

"Well, actually-" The one called Sudoar suddenly brought the Gauntlet down. "Speak of the devil. They're the kids right now."

The other looked down over the balcony, his uniform tinkling from the medals assorted on it. "So Kabuto managed to find them. A pity."

"How so?"

The other smiled thinly. "A pity they'll be getting blood all over those exotic clothes."

XXX

**Sasuke**

"Oh, Sasuke, you look so handsome!"

Sakura was looking him over in his dark suit. A bright red necktie was hung around his neck, and disappeared beneath his vest. Kabuto had indeed fixed them up the proper clothes, true to his word.

_But why are we coming to the dinner? It can't simply be we protected the caravan. It's got to be something to do with... him._

The Mark pulsated slightly. He ignored it.

_Never again._

"OH FOR-"

Naruto's third yell of protest broke the tranquil atmosphere again. He had been slowly putting on the formal attire, and in someway had been damaging each article of clothing. The sound of the tear of silk notified Sasuke that this time his tie had been ripped. "HOW DO YOU PUT THIS DAMN THING ON ANYWAYS!"

Sakura sighed, and Sasuke found himself having, for the first time ever,consciously fight not to look at her. She had just emerged from the dressing room in a flowing red dress. Her pink hair was glossy and lively. She moved to where Naruto was putting on his clothes, and the dress swished around above her knees. "I'll go help him. When do we have to be there, Sasuke?"

He regained composure. _A ninja cannot allow emotions to cloud his judgment. _"It begins in thirty minutes."

"Right." She disappeared into the dressing room. "Naruto, why do you have to be so clumsy?"

There was an unmanly shriek. "S-SAKURA?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE MEN'S DRESSING ROOM?!"

Sasuke imagined he could hear her blush. "Oh grow up, Naruto. Come on, I'll get your tie."

There was a few moments of shuffling clothes, grumbled complaints, and flesh hitting flesh.

He found his attention wavering to the still motionless body of Kakashi Hatake. Their sensei was still immobile after his fight with the rogue ninja Sudoar. The traitorous ninja had struck him with a unique jutsu, the Memory Jutsu, with a blast from the Gaunlet of the Slayer. The details of it all were still buggy to him, and he had realized that he had been hit with it as well. They all had.

Earlier, they had been fighting what was thought the real trouble; a randomized assortment of bandits who had been attacking caravans between The Land of Fire and The Land of Dunes. After the fight, they had been blanketed in a white aura from an unknown source. They had shielded their eyes from the light, however, and it had been revealed this stopped the Memory Jutsu from affecting them to badly. Instead of losing all their memories, the fight with the bandits had instead been wiped from the minds.

Kakashi sensei, with his non-inherited Sharingan, was unable to close his eye when hit with the Memory Jutsu, thus taking the maximum damage. In a few days, he would be a hollow shell of his former self, with all his memories erased.

_We weren't strong enough to stop them. I got caught in that Barrier Jutsu, and was to weak to break out of it. Naruto wouldn't have stood a chance if the fight with the Black Five had dragged on. We're all to weak. If Sudoar attacks again, we're done for._

He clenched his fists at his sides, felt his fingernails dig into the skin painfully. The pain felt good, relaxing.

"Sasuke, you're bleeding!" He unraveled his hands. Sakura and Naruto had reentered the main room with him and Kakashi. Naruto's clothes were the same as his, but there was a rip in his left armpit, a long cut on his right trouser, and his tie had a large nick. However, they were not immensely noticeable, at least to Sasuke. He just had a sharper sense for seeing odd things, just like other strong ninja and warriors.

Sakura was dabbing his hands with a paper she had pulled from beside Kakashi sensei. The blood was taken away, leaving small puncture wounds in his hands. However, they were too small for anyone to see at a distance.

"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be," she said. "We have twenty minutes, let's go!"

The Mark burned again, and he could feel its hunger. He bit his lip and forced himself to put on his happier personality. He had opted to do this whenever the Mark had burned, which was becoming more and more frequent. _I can't let them know it's been bugging me, all they'll throw a fit. Better to let them think I'm a happier guy than to know what's really going on._

"Let's go!" He said in what he thought was his enthusiastic voice. It came out strange and metallic, probably because he hadn't been enthusiastic for eight years. At any rate, they both looked at him with the same shocked look whenever he did something abnormal like that, and he did his best to ignore them. _What I'd give to just critic Naruto. _"I have the directions Kabuto gave us, let's get this done."

XXX

**Naruto**

"The Palace looks even bigger up close!" He gasped. The towering structure of marble and glass extended high into the air. He could not even see the top of it, but that was probably because of the night. _Then again, I don't think I saw the top when we arrived, either! This is the tallest thing I've ever seen in my life!_

There was a glimmer of light on one of the hundreds of balconies It looked like the moon was reflecting off something white, small. He squinted trying to see what it was, but after a few moments it was gone again. He could see two shadowy figures up on the balcony, but they were so far away he couldn't tell. _Probably just some aides stopping for a chat._

The streets were empty, with some lamps shining through the windows of other buildings. Night was descending rapidly on the Land of Dunes, and with it, the cold air. With no protection from the elements, the Land of Dunes became arid hot in the day, and frosty cold at night. Naruto could already feel himself shivering in the air. "Let's get inside there, quick!"

Sakura, who was wearing only her dress and a simple undergarment, nodded, teeth chattering. The trio found the street turn into white marble stone beneath their feet, and instead of houses and stores, beautiful gardens and fountains ran alongside them.

Two sets of glass doors were in front of them. Four men stood in between them and the doors. "We need to see a pass for the dinner tonight," said one heavily.

_These are some of the Land of Dunes' hired ninja, _Naruto thought grimly. _A bunch of criminals and traitors. _

Sasuke silently extended the paper Kabuto had given them, and they took it. One of the other ninja snorted derisively. "Where did kids your age get an invitation like this?"

"It was given to us by a man called Kabuto," Sakura answered. "He works for Representative Orochimaru."

They collectively snorted. "Kabuto? Never heard of him. Unless you mean you found this card in a hat?"

Sakura blinked. "How have you not heard of Kabuto! He's been coming to this place in place of the Representative for many years! Are you blind or stupid?" She stamped her foot for emphasis.

They stopped laughing. "You got a big mouth, girl," said one maliciously. "Now go back to the town before we send you there ourselves." He looked at Naruto and Sasuke in turn, and his lip curled. "And take your boyfriends with you, you dirty-"

"Now, now! There's no need for language like that!" To all of their surprise, Kabuto opened the glass door from the inside. He walked out and gave the guards a warning glare, and they backed away respectively. The four-eyed villain gave them a welcoming smile. "Come on in."

They entered, and Naruto stuck his tongue out at the guards. They hissed in his ear, "You're lucky Diplomat Otubak was here to let you off the hook. Next time we won't hesitate to send you off."

The glass doors shut behind them, leaving their four harrassers outside. Naruto had already forgotten about them.

Gleaming white pillars, shining light-grey tiles, midnight vases, and colorful paintings lined the interior. It was like walking into a room hat existed solely for money. _This Daiymo really knows how to live it big!_

Kabuto noticed his glazed look and chuckled. "Don't look more foolish than you have to Naruto, or your jaw might it the floor." He cast a look at his watch, and his eyes grew concerned. "There is a matter I must attend to, however. Follow the directions I gave you, and you will arrive at the dinner." He took a long look at Sasuke, and then he went around one of the pillars and was gone.

"Calm on, let's go to the dinner," Sasuke said urgently, and took off at a fast pace. They had to jog to catch up to him.

"Slow down, Sasuke!" Naruto wheezed. "You're going really fast!"

"I know." They rounded corner after corner, and up several flights of stairs. Naruto felt sweat beginning to stain his suit, and the nervousness of him looking non-presentable made him sweat even more.

They half-walked, half-ran for fifteen minutes, until they were at a set of beautifully carved cedar doors. Two ninja guarded them; Juruko and another.

"Hey, Juruko!" Naruto said happily, coughing a little from the run. "How are you?"

"Just get inside, kid. I've been told you were personally invited by the Daiymo, so don't keep them waiting." His sharp rebuke caught Naruto off guard, and he looked questionably at their ally. The other gave a quick wink, then barked "Go on, get in there!"

"He doesn't want to blow his cover, Naruto," Sakura whispered gently in his ear. She tugged him through the wooden doors as Sasuke opened them-

-into heaven's courtyard. The room was impossibly large, nearly the size of the apartment's Naruto lived in. Comically, it was almost empty except for various paintings and furniture along the walls. There was a single, long table in the center of the room, directly beneath three golden chandeliers that swung gently overhead, like guardian angels. The cord holding them up ran all the way up to the high, vaulted ceiling, where a large mural was painted. It showed some sort of battle, with various colors, mainly orange for fire and red for blood, blossoming like flowers above them.

All in all, he definitely would choose this room over Sakura any day.

"Ah, and here are our guests!" Kabuto was somehow in the room already. He was standing beside a tall man in a highly decorated uniform with several medals and honors, and they recognized him as Diplomat Heyuut.

"How did you beat us here?" Sakura wheezed slightly.

"I have my ways," Kabuto smiled brightly. "Please, take your seats. They have been reserved for you."

They walked towards four empty chairs, the only unoccupied spaces in the long table besides one other chair directly across from them. Various, wealthy looking people lined the furniture. Their seats were leaned towards one end, towards-

"And these must be the three of the ninja who protected my caravan!" A fat, brightly dressed man was at the head of the table, in an elegant throne. Two ninja stood behind him, and a huddle of thin, pale people stood on either side of him, obviously trying to get his attention. At his words, it grew to be very silent.

"Uh, yeah, that's us!" Naruto stammered. _This must be the daimyo, the highest ranking official in this land! I've never met our own before! And he's going to be thanking us _personally_!?_

The other waved a hand carelessly at them. "Thank you. Now, about the shipment from the Land of Earth, Horald..."

The conversation was over before it began. Naruto opened his mouth angrily, but Sasuke seemed to have anticipated this and shoved him toward his seat. He sat down glumly, his dreams of being rewarded being doused rapidly. Sasuke sat down on his right, across from the other empty chair, and Sakura sat on the Uchiha's right. The table chatter had already started again, and Sakura leaned over to him. "So much for that! Why did we get invited, if only for two words?"

"There's gotta be something else," Naruto said desperately. "Maybe some money, or a medal-" His stomach growled. "Or maybe some food, I'm starving already!"

"Don't get your hopes up," Sasuke cut in. "Let's just play along; maybe we can learn something."

Suddenly, there was a loud _CLANG _from the other side of the table, and the room fell silent again. Kabuto was holding his glass high, a spoon in his other hand. "We will now begin the dinner. But first, we must welcome Representative Orochimaru to the occasion!"

There was a cheer from the table, and Naruto felt as if he was going to be sick. He had forgotten the most dangerous criminal in the continent was going to be sitting with them. His eyes were drawn to the empty chair right across from them. A single word was there, stating who sat there. _You know, I don't feel so hungry all of a sudden._

XXX

**Sasuke**

_What were the odds he would be sitting directly across from us. Damn it all..._

Kabuto was leading the applause as a thin figure entered through the wooden doors, dressed in white and purple. The purple was like flames stretching from the feet upward, enveloping him in a dark aura. The white face smiled at the applause, but the arms didn't move to stem it.

_Like he could. _The Third Hokage's jutsu had done it's job well.

Orochimaru went around the table as the applause continued. Kabuto drew out the chair so he could sit down, and the monster sat down.

Right in front of him.

The applause died down as Kabuto held up his hand. "We also have another guest arriving, and he should be given an even greater applause because he's responsible for security tonight!" There were a few titters across the table. "He's late because he was tending to last minute details, but I've been informed he's here now! Please welcome the Captain of the Guard, Dalto!"

Another man entered through the doors, but Sasuke did not even notice. He was looking directly at the thing in front of him.

That was looking back at him.

"Ah, Sasuke Uchiha," he said above the applause. "It's been quite a long time, hasn't it."

He could not respond.

"I meant to make my next visit to you quicker," he went on, and his tongue peeked out from within the abyss of his mouth. "But there have been some problems pertaining to my arms that have prevented as such."

"Good."

The other blinked, then laughed. "I enjoy spirit, Sasuke, but there's no need to be so aggressive."

Sasuke felt panic building up in, panic he couldn't possibly hope to control. "Just say the hell away from me."

The tongue licked the lips, then wormed its way back inside. "No promises."

The applause died down, and the Daiymo worked his fat bulk up from the chair. "Thank you for joining me, on this fine night in the Palace of the Dunes," he said jovially. "I know we all have such busy schedules in between economics, rogue ninja, and the other problems that emerge in our city, but it is good to see the people here, in my presence!"

Sasuke tore himself away from the slit-like eyes, towards the other guests. The fourth and last empty chair had finally been taken by the newcomer, the one called Captain Dalto. He looked rather thin and small to be Captain of security, but perhaps appearances weren't everything. A long, shiny sword was strapped to his side, in an elegant sheath. It was obviously well cared for, as the leather shined even without direct lighting.

"We dine here today, to recognize the group of ninja who escorted our latest caravan safely back into our city! One of them has sadly been incapacitated, but the other three are very much present!" Sasuke turned towards the daimyo, surprised to see he had one of his ring-adorned hands gestured at them. In his other was a wine glass filled to the brim. "Let us toast in their name!"

There was a cry of agreement. "Let us give thanks to Naruko, Sokuro, and Soaske!"

Sasuke blinked at the rather large mispronunciation of their names, and sighed. _I knew it wouldn't go as planned. _He glanced at Naruto, who was bright red with embaressment and anger. Sakura was looking equally angry, but not as badly as he was. There was different repeats of their names, sometimes with even worse pronunciation, and then the collective sound of liquid seeping down the throats of the wealthy. Glasses hit the table with happy satisfaction, and waiters scrambled through various doors in the hall, each wielding bottles of wine and exotic drinks. One poured the three of them sparkling water.

Kabuto had pulled a smaller chair and was seated next to Orochimaru. He saw the discomfort on all of their faces and smiled. "What's wrong, you three? You look as if you'd rather not be here, at a dinner hosted in your honor!"

Sakura snorted. "Please, I think it's quite clear this was just an excuse for these people to feast. We're hardly the object for celebration." Her voice grew knotted. "In fact, I think I have a clear idea on who suggested we be invited at all." Sasuke twisted his head slightly, and saw she was looking at Orochimaru with uncontained fear.

The white faced freak smiled thinly. "Clever girl, this one is. Yes, I did indeed suggest to the Daiymo you be invited."

"Why?"

"So that I could see you _all, _of course." The word all was stressed in a way that Sasuke didn't believe him. _He doesn't care that Sakura and Naruto are here. Damn, I've been a fool. He just wants to see how I've progressed. _As if in agreement, the Mark ringed painfully, and he casually stretched his hand to clasp it.

"So, you are the three responsible for protecting the caravan, yes?" A new voice entered the conversation, and Sasuke saw Captain Dalto leaning around Sakura to talk to them.

"That's right."

The other smiled. "You did a good job. The Black Five have been causing havoc in the surrounding lands for many years. For you to have struck them out as you did really earns my appreciation."

Naruto gave a strained toothy smile. "Hey, it's what we do! Beating evil and trouble wherever we go!"

The Captain laughed. "That's good to hear! I heard that you, Naruto, actually took down one of the Black Five. Drel, wasn't it?"

Whether being pleased at having his name said correctly, or being recognized for his endeavor, Naruto seemed to forget about Orochimaru sitting across from them resumed his casual overconfident tone. "Oh, it wasn't to hard. I just hit him with my Rasengam, and BAM, it was over!"

Dalto wiped away some spittle that had leaped out of Naruto's mouth from him saying BAM, and gave an interested nod. "Rasengan? I've never heard of it."

Sasuke noticed Kabuto was clutching him stomach as Naruto spoke. "Ah, it's a jutsu I learned, invented by the Fourth Hokage! It's the most powerful jutsu I've got, and probably _the _strongest ever made!"

Captain Dalto smiled tightly. "I always wanted to be a ninja, but my father said I was never a warrior. He wanted me to stay out of fights whenever they happened... when he passed away, it was to late for me to become a ninja. So I took up learning the way of the sword."

Naruto took note of the sword with wide eyes. "Wow, it looks amazing!"

Dalto smiled appreciatively. "Why, thank you! It's my most treasured possession. I'm not exactly an expert with it, but that'll change soon."

"Perhaps." Sasuke felt his stress go up another notch as Orochimaru spoke. "It's a shame you were unable to become a ninja, Captain Dalto. I'm sure you would have been... an average fighter."

Captain Dalto's eyebrows knitted together. "I'll take that as a compliment, Representative Orochimaru."

The other shrugged. "Take it as you will. Let's just hope those skills that would've been used as a ninja will be put to the test in your security measures for tonight, Captain."

"I assure you, you are well protected," Dalto said stiffly. "I would appreciate it if you would feel safe as well, Representative."

"My Lord means well, Captain," Kabuto said softly. "He just enjoys poking fun at those who say they would like to be a ninja, but instead have no talent to become one."

"Aide Otubak, I assure you I am well equipped to be a warrior, if I so wish!" Dalto was turning red, now, his cheeks coloring with silent fury. "If you would rather I had spent my time training instead of making sure security was at peak condition, perhaps you would be more satisfied."

Kabuto gave the other a crooked grin. "I doubt that it would make any diff-"

"Can it would you!"

Sasuke blinked at the anger in Naruto's voice. "So what if he can't be a ninja? I'm sure he's the best swordsman around! In fatc, I'm sure he could cut your damn head off, if he felt like it!"

"Naruto, calm down," Sasuke hissed. _Like we want to antagonize those two. _

Kabuto was laughing. "I doubt Captain Dalto would get close enough to do so, before my short kunai knife had his head off first!"

Captain Dalto had regained his composure, and to Sasuke's surprise, was smiling again. "Yes, yes. But I smell food arriving, and let me tell you, I _am _famished after such a long day."

Indeed, the waiters had returned, and the table chatter had turned to happiness at the sight of food. There was chicken, lamb, a roasted pig, bowls of corn and rice, smoking bread, brightly colored vegetables and fruit, positively steaming cold potatoes, and even a few custard-

_Steaming _cold _potatoes?_ Four plates of the potatoes had been set up and down the table along with the other food. Silverware was clattering, glassed being sipped. But there was something else. A small ticking-

He went to pick up a potato, and felt himself having to apply more strength to pick it up. _What the hell?_

The Daiymo, at this point too drunk to care about anything, was picking up one of the potatoes, and was shoving it into his mouth along with an assortment of random foods-

Sasuke picked up his fork, and jammed it in an unorthodox way into the potato. Sakura leaned over to him, whispred in his ear, "Sasuke, what are you doing! It's a formal dinner!"

The fork didn't go out the other side. He dropped the fork and dug his fingers into the potato, began peeling away the food. And then he saw it. Small, metal and plastic.

"Sasuke!"

He blinked in astonishment. The sealing had indeed been smoking already. It was too late. He began to read the seal, desperate to find a way to stop it. _Flas-_

The potatoes erupted into miniature suns as the flash bombs inside them, already smoking, exploded all at once, drowning everyone in burning hot light.


	10. Chapter 10- Of Possible Evils

**Sorry about this coming out with such a long gap! I got injured in sports, blah blah, still recovering, blah blah. I'll try to write more, because I have some ideas on how to continue this through. At any rate, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Props if you get the Cratz and Stern reference.**

The smoke billowed out of the Palace like some sort of monster releasing its tentacles from within. Yells of panic echoed liked death throes into the city so far below. Lights flickered on and the people clammered outside to see flames and smoke darting out of the palace.

His lip curled in satisfaction.

"Do you want me to finish the job, Sudoar?" She was looking at him longingly, with that same desire he had seen when he had first recruited her. It wasn't necessarily love or lust, but more of worship.

She idolized him. He liked that.

"Yes, finish off our Leaf Ninja friends. I'm sure they'd want a challenge."

As he spoke, a body was launched from the Palace, and the crowd watched in stunned silence as it sailed down and disappeared somewhere on the Palace grounds.

_Just like the good old days..._

He frowned. Through the smoke, he saw another man, firmly built and tall, fighting his men. He knew the shape.

"Kill the Leaf brats and tell me when you're done. I'll come up to kill... him."

She nodded once, left, and he cocked a smile as another body was hurled from the palace.

"On second thought, I'll come with you."

Oh yes, he was feeling _very _traditional today.

XXX

**Naruto**

The smoke wasn't toxic or threatening him in any way, that much he could tell. But the sudden disappearance of oxygen, being replaced by air he could not fully breath, was proving to be a problem. Another explosion suddenly ripped apart the Palace floor, opening up a gaping hole that looked out into the city. The smoke began to funnel out, but the potatoes we're still emitting smoke.

"N-N-Naruto!" Sakura was waving an arm around with something clu, her other supporting her on the table. "I have breathing masks!" He saw there was indeed one in her hand. He grabbed it hurriedly, latched it to his face. Everything was suddenly more calm, and he took great gulps of air. He saw Sasuke was sporting one as well. His eyes were locked onto a gagging Kabuto and equally hacking Orochimaru.

_If they were involved, they would have been more prepared. _He grinned mischievously as Kabuto's eyes watered. _Not that I'm complaining, of course._

"Well, looks like we have a few stragglers!" Naruto whirled, and to his surprise, saw a large squad of ill-looking men and women entering the room through the new hole in the wall, all wearing gas masks too. They looked almost distantly familiar, but at the same time, wondered who they could be. "Kill them all!"

The bandits pulled various weapons from sheaths and within cloaks, and spread out into the din.

Towards them.

"Circle up!" Sasuke's muffled voice reached both of them, and they came into formation. A kunai flashed towards them from Sakura's side, and they all ducked as she yelled a warning. Shuriken raced towards them like little mites, and as one they broke apart and leaped towards their assailants.

There was a shriek as Naruto's fist connected with one of the bandits, and like that one was down. _These guys are to easy!_

The bandits folded easily under the storm of kunai, fire, shadow clones, and taijutsu. It was such a familiar sensation, and the bandits themselves felt so old, like a forgotten toy! Within moments they had cleared the area.

"Wew, they actually beat them all up! 'Mazin!" Naruto blinked, looked at the new voice. The potatoes were still issuing their contents, still fogging up his vision. The wealthy people, fat and skinny, small and tall, had generally managed to clear their way to the exits, though more interestingly enough, Orochimaru and Kabuto had fled the table, but instead of leaving, we're hanging in the back of the room.

Naruto shook his head, turned his attention back to the new opponent- no, _two _new opponents. They were both slim, and wore semi- matching outfits. They looked slightly similar to that of Sudoar and the rest of the Black Five, but they lacked the characteristic cloaks the others wore, and also, to Naruto's amusement, not as intelligent.

"Say, the black haired kid shot flems out of his mouth, Stern! _Flems!_"

"Yeah, I saw! That's chakra, that is." There was a pause. "Say, you don't think _we're _the bad guys right now, do you?"

The other did a double take. "Good lord! I never though of that! But Sudoar gave good money, he must be a nice guy."

He sighed. "To confusing. I'd say he's just one of possible evils. Could be either way I guess."

The other bobbed his head through the smoke while the three of them looked on in bewilderment. "Say, Sudoar wan's us to kill 'em though. Man, I really 'ate killing young people."

"Well, flip a coin to see 'oo gets 'oo?"

"Right... for the yellow 'aired kid first."

Naruto saw a small object toss up in the air. "Best two out of three!"

"Alright, alright..."

The coin flipped through the air for something of a thirty times in the space of two minutes, while Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura exchanged bamboozled looks at the two men. Finally, the man called Stern cried, "Dammit, Cratz, that's twenty-nine times! They said in class you can't do that!"

"I don't know, maybe gravity turn'd the coin or something!" Naruto was shocked to here the sincerity in the voice.

"Maybe... wait, ain't it physics that does that?"

The one called Cratz gave a roll of his shoulders. "Whatever. You get the one with the flems, I got the yellow kid."

"Yes."

The two figures darted apart from each other, and Naruto felt thick fingers wrap around his neck the next moment. _They're so quick! _

A whisper reached his ear. "So'ary 'bout this kid. Sure you 'ad something going for you somewhere in the world... but money comes first." The fist tightened, and Naruto felt himself already blacking out. In the corner f his eye, he saw Sakura and Sasuke in similar predicaments.

_Not... like... this... _

He brought his fingers together...

**"Fire Style: Dragonfire Jutsu!"**

_"AH- HOOOOOOOOOT! THAT'S HOOOOOOOOOT!"_

The yell was enough to reach all the way to Konoha. The man who had been holding him released his grip in surprise at hearing his companion's shriek, and Naruto leaped from his grasp. **"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **Five more Naruto's appeared, all wearing angry glances. "Nobody grabs me like that and get's away with it, you hear?"

The man stumbled back, shuffling back from the aura of power that had been released. He looked over at his friends, who was sucking on his fingers. "Stern, did he get you!"

"Yeah! Burnt my fingers!"

Naruto felt his frustration with their blank indifference and confusion increasing rapidly. "Aren't you guys here to kill us?" He demanded furiously. "At least try and be serious about it!"

The two looked at him. "What, are you offering us a show? I like action, but the way you keep rambling on it sounds more like you're tragedians!"

"I'll put on a show for you!" He ran at the one called Cratz and leaped through the air, while his clones came from all sides. At the same time, Sasuke sent a bolt of flame and Sakura more shuriken towards Stern, splitting the fight in two.

"Wew, kid, calm down!" Cratz put up his hands to defend himself, absorbed the main kick without so much as a snort of pain. He lashed out with one of his hands and hit one of the approaching clones, and he heard a strange sound, like air being let out of several balloons.

"Eh, not the real you then. Should have heard some bones cracking in that one, but just hit your dumb clones hard enough that I actually broke their chakra! Ain't that something?"

_Broke the chakra? What type of strength is this? _He leaped back, as did his clones. Cratz looked back at them suspiciously. "Well, what's yer next move?"

"Stern, help!" The other man was taking furious blasts of flame from Sasuke, his skin becoming blackened from the heat.

"You're Stern, ya fool! I'm Cratz!"

"Oh, right- help!"

The man sighed, turned back to Naruto. "You kids are a real 'andful. I can see why Sudoar just wanted us to kill yer!"

The clones and Naruto flashed a cocky grin. "We're just that good?"

"Per'aps... but, time to end it. He leaped forward, and smashed his hand right into Naruto's gut, twisting his fist while he did it.

The air went out of his lungs, and blood flew from his lips as he felt an organ inside him become smashed. The clones popped out of existence, and Cratz smiled approvingly. "That's good, better to keep things that are real instead of fake shadows. Ya gotta have an understanding of the real deal, know yourself, before you go making fakes."

"Shuuu..." The blood was filling his mouth, and he spat out a goblet, trying to speak once more.

"Shut up? Now that just ain't nice." Cratz furrowed his brow.

"Shuuu...Shua..."

"Now I'm just confused."

**"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **Multiple clones sprang into life, and the real Naruto got himself up, much to Cratz's surprise. "I _am _aware of myself, I _do _know myself. These clones aren't fakes; they're representation of who I am!"

Cratz cocked his head, confused. "Who are you again?"

The clones ran forward, and this time, Cratz couldn't move his arms around to cover his body. The clones kicked, punched, and sent him stumbling back towards the hole in the wall. In the corner of his vision, he saw Stern buckling under the combined attacks of his teammates.

Cratz heaved himself up into a defensive position, the various wounds he sported were dark splotches on his smooth skin. "Well, come and get me, No Name!"

Naruto shrugged. "You asked for it."

Four clones and one body of flesh jumped through the air, over Cratz's head, and the other watched with wide eyes at the size of the leap. **"NA-RU-TO- UZIMAKI BARRAGE!"**

The clones hit Cratz into the air, and pummeled him in critical all over his body, piercing right through his defenses. Each time they landed a blow, Cratz spat out a small goblet of blood, and on the final word, the real Naruto sent his right foot right into the fellow's stomach-

-and right out of the window, to sail hundreds of feet to the ground.

"CRATZ!" Stern was looking at where his friend had gone flying out the roughly made window, his eyes wide with concern. "No, Stern! Stern, come back!"

"You're Stern," said another voice testily. Naruto turned, his body weak with relief. Juruko was standing there, his hands coated with fresh blood. He caught Naruto looking at them, and said, "More bandits downstairs... taken care of. The rest of the Dunes Ninja are getting the Daiymo fully protected."

"CRATZ!"

Juruko shook his head, amused. "You two aren't that different from each other, you know? Now, offer yourself surrender and you may find yourself only with a medium jail time." He moved in front of the crudely made hole, as if to deter Stern from jumping after his friend.

_With his brains, pretty likely. _

Stern blinked. "But we're inseparable! If he's gone... then my existence isn't real!"

"I'll admit you two are hard to tell apart, but that seems a bit overdone-"

"What will I tell the king and queen!" Stern babbled, not making any sense now. "I always told them that one day we'd just get caught up in all this madness, that no one would pay us any real mind, that they'd _kill _us! Come on now!"

"Stern-"

To late, the other blundered his way around Juruko, barely missing a sudden jet of fire from Sasuke. He sailed out the window and plummeted after his friend.

XXX

**Sasuke**

_That was… unexpected. _He turned to Juruko. "Nice of you to show up."

The man turned towards him with a glare. "If you would have preferred I had let the Palace be overrun by the bandits, you should have said."

He flicked his hair. "They weren't any trouble for us."

"You were nearly killed by two just now."

Sasuke felt himself redden with anger. "They were huge, and we had it completely under control-"

Another explosion, somewhere very close below, broke the conversation, and suddenly the floor beneath them collapsed as the supports gave way from the tension and trials of the battle that had been fought above. Juruko and Naruto plummeted straight through as the floor caved in, but Sakura and Sasuke were able to leap out of the carnage, leaving the two to drop, dazed but relatively unharmed, to the levelbelow.

"Damn, I had hoped that would be more effective." Sasuke recognized the drawling female voice, the one that had taunted him during the fight at the caravan. He turned slowly, saw her leaning against a broken marble pillar, lazily examining her fingernails. A long, shining sword of Iron was strapped to her side, and Sasuke remembered that the data analysis on her had said she was from the Land of Iron.

_I'm not going to let her best me again._

"Don't push your luck, boy. " Sasuke's bravado caught in his throat as Sudoar suddenly materialized right next to her, his Camouflage Jutsu extinguishing itself. "I'd like nothing better than to kill you now, but…" His eyes flicked over to the back of the room, and Sasuke risked a glance, and his heart went to his throat. Orochimaru and Kabuto were still there, watching the scene unfold. The white skinned freak was starting coolly at Sudoar, as if tempting him to continue.

"I'm not afraid of you." The words exited his mouth without him really examining their meaning. He crouched into a combat position, but Sudoar was not paying attention to him now. Instead, his eyes were locked down on the two dusty people below.

"Juruko."

The other did not seem surprised, but through the dust, Sasuke could read Juruko's exhausted look. "Sudoar. I should have known I would be finding you again."

The other gave a crooked smile, walked towards the hole in the ground. Sasuke unhooked a kunai he had stashed within his now ripped suit, but Sudoar flashed him such a venomous look, an intent so malicious that he froze.

_His killing intent is like Orochimaru's in the Forest of Doom. But this time… it's not a monster. It's an actual human._

Sudoar looked away, back towards Juruko and Naruto. "I want the Star, Juruko. You know it should be mine."

"I have reasons to doubt that."

"Don't be a child," snapped Sudoar. "I was always the strongest Keeper. With the Gauntlet in my position, I believe I at least triple your strength."

Juruko whispered something to Naruto that Sasuke couldn't hear, but Sudoar was somehow able to read his lips or hear. "Are you going to tell the little welp to run, Juruko?" he laughed, his voice growing chillier by the second. "You seem to be an expert at that; are you passing on this jutsu now?"

"He's not going to be caught up in our battle, Sudoar. We were taught to be honorable in battle, to allow the young to live another day."

"Memories are a burden. They only keep you back from expanding your power!"

Juruko shook his head. "You will never understand power, not as long as you fantasize about Stars and power."

The air buzzed with unseen electricity, the atoms in the air being riddled with Sudoar's fury. Sasuke's hair began to stand on end, and the woman's hair emitted a single crack of electricity, causing her to flinch with surprise and brief pain.

"You always thought of me as a fool, Juruko." Sudoar held up the Gauntlet for them all to see, so that Sasuke could count all the Stars in it, with the smaller Lighting fragment and the Fire Star missing in the formation. _That's one set I never want completed._

"Now, let me teach you what I have learned with my freedom." Sudoar blurred down into the next floor, and he heard chakra crackle as Juruko gathered lightning in his palm and eject it towards the rapid blur. There was a strange sound like anything he had ever heard, something like air being rapidly sucked away, and the lightning vanished somewhere into the Gauntlet.

Sakura moved to jump into the pit, but the woman stepped away from the pillar. "You two aren't to disturb my Lord's mission. Your fight is with me."

"Get out of the way." Sasuke could hear the note of concern in Sakura's voice for Naruto.

The woman obviously heard it to. She laughed venomously. "Sudoar _was _right. You kids are too full of weak ideals like protecting each other to be ninja!"

The words hit home, hard. _Everyone is always saying that! They always say looking after friends is just a waste of time, that it holds someone back. Only Konoha thinks like this… that's why we're always singled out of all the great nations. Because we're to soft._

"Miserable wretches such as yourselves don't deserve to exist in the coming rebirth of the world." She said these words carelessly, like she was purchasing groceries. "When Sudoar reforms this multi-cursed continent, there won't be any place for you or your worthless village."

Sasuke tightened his fists in anger. The Mark jumped at his hatred, sought to take control. He gave a furious growl from in between his teeth, frustrated beyond belief.

The woman, who's name he remembered to be Cecilia, slowly drew her sword. The iron glistened brightly in the flames of the Palace, casting an odd glow on the ground below. He allowed his Sharingan to activate, causing his eyes to turn red. She cocked her head, undoubtedly plotting her next move.

There was a tremendous release of charka from the fight below, and Sasuke looked down for a moment. It was the wrong thing to do.

The woman disappeared, a blur of speed not to different from Sudoar's, but his Sharingan noticed her movement, tracked her legs and direction. She was heading straight towards Sakura, her sword coming up to cleave her in two, and the poor pink- haired genin was still looking at the place she had been just seconds before-

The kunai in his hand barely caught the blade, the tip just catching the descent of the fall. Sakura flinched at the speed of which he moved, and she leaped backwards out of harms way.

Cecilia cursed, her voice sour. "Quick moves, boy. I see you possess the Sharingan… just like the other one I met."

Sasuke felt the grip on his kunai slacken with indiscriminate surprise and charted anger, and the sword withdrew, this time reaching to bisect him in the stomach-

He backflipped, his right foot hitting the flat end of the sword so that he did not receive harm, but rather threw the woman off balance. At the same time, he flung his kunai at her, allowing it to race towards her face-

She was good, though. Her reflexes were better than anyone he had met, and he again distantly recalled the data sheet saying she had been the second most dangerous in the Black Five. At any rate, her sword rose up, and there was the quickest of screeches of metal as the kunai bounced off the sword harmlessly.

She brought the sword in front of her, waving it gently side to side. "Oh yes, you're definitely like the other one. And you look like him, too."

The pressure building in his Mark was building exponentially. In the corner of his eye, he saw the white faced freak and his pet had gotten closer to their fight. He ignored both them and her words. **"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"**

The discs of fire shot out in random proportions, no pattern to follow or study. At the same time, he brought his hands together and launched another jutsu. **"Great Fireball Jutsu!" **The ball of flame that erupted his mouth was ten times greater than any of the discs, filling up a good portion of the hall, searing the marble floors with its heat and velocity.

The rogue flicked her sword carelessly, and the discs dissolved where the sword came into contact with them. The ball of flame approached quickly behind the discs, and Sasuke smirked, thinking his distraction tactics had worked.

The ball disappeared as her sword pierced it. He could not find words as she leveled her blade at him, the silver shining malevolently in the dying flames around them.

"My sword is not just a piece of metal. It's been imbued with a unique chakra source that allows it to cancel out incoming elemental chakra of any kind. Your little fire jutsu's won't bypass it." She brandished the sword once, shook her head with a smile. "Little kids shouldn't be fighting in this world. They think they can do anything, can accomplish whatever they want. We will change that."

Her sword suddenly shot forward, and Sasuke blinked, numbed by her words to the point he couldn't move.

A lash of metal, sharp and long like Cecilia's sword. Reflexively, as time seemed to slow, he caught it. He looked at the sender. Orochimaru looked back, his expression unreadable. However, he gave a small nod of his head.

What that meant to him didn't matter.

He brought the sword up and blocked her strike. Her eyes widened in blank surprise, but he allowed no time for her to recover. He shoved her back, and she tripped backwards over broken clusters of marble. He raced forward, swinging for weak spots that his Sharingan could detect. His movements became a dance, and her defense a broken flurry as she fought to regain control of the fight.

The blades met in showers of sparks as strength met strength, and he rained strikes from every angle. Her moves were getting sloppy, as she grew tired. She was older than he was, contained less of that youthful energy he possessed. She had experience, but he could read that experience and improve it, like a child learning from his mistakes.

His sword crashed down on her and she fell to the ground, sword held weakly in her hand. He towered over her, held the tip of his steel at her throat. He was breathing heavily, amazed he had been able to turn the tides so quickly. "I've won," he said quietly, his breathing returning to normal. "Stand down and perhaps we will be able to negotiate an end to this plot."

"Look at you, talking like a grown- up." She wheezed a little, her hands still shaky. "You understand so little but you talk so big. It's pathetic! I don't know how I could have compared you to Itachi; _he _knew what strength was. When our paths crossed in the past, he was such a cool, straightforward killing machine, back when he was with ANBU. He had such a bloodthirsty personality I wasn't surprised when he had butchered his clan. But I had just expected so much more from someone of his direct blood!"

His face contorted at the name. "Don't you _ever _compare me to him!" Something began to tickle his neck, but he ignored it.

She tossed her hair. "You're his little brother, aren't you? I had heard he had spared one of his clan, had heard it was his brother. I had expetec someone even stronger than him." She half laughed, half coughed. "I see the rumors we're inaccurate on that part."

Sakura was coming towards him, her face the most terrified he had ever seen. He could feel the Mark spreading across him again, but this time, it felt good. He wanted to feel that hatred again, to look down on this woman and let her see his hatred for her.

Her eyes widened, her mouth opened in a wordless expression of disbelief. "That's-" Her eyes flicked across to where Orochimaru was watching with uncontained fascination and pleasure.

His fingers began to hurt as he clenched the hilt of the sword tightly. He felt the familiar power from the Forest of Death rushing though him, when he had effortlessly broken Zaku's arms.

He paused, afraid of the darkness for a moment. The fear in Cecilia eyes, and the horror in Sakura's, was disturbing him. _Sakura... what am I doing? _He looked at the blackness all across him arms and hands, and he grew worried.

_But it might be the only way to kill him. It might be the only way to get revenge on Itachi. Think of what you've been doing with Konoha... look how far your current power has gotten you. Facing Itachi will require more... so much more!_

That settled it. He raised the arm still holding the sword above his head, and still looking down on his victim, brought it down.

He cast the thought of stopping aside like trash, looked away from Sakura. He raised the sword in his hand and made to bring it down to the woman's neck...


	11. Chapter 11- Emotion Beneath the Mask

The two worked across the chipped and blackened marble floor like in a deadly dance. They watched silently, one apprehensive one delighted.

"My Lord... perhaps we should intervene?"

"No, let Sasuke finish the fight. His anger is growing, I just need to nudge the Mark's influence for it to activate."

The other adjusted his glasses. "But what then? We can't just take him, and that's considering he _wants _to come right now."

The other shrugged his shoulders in a strange fashion, the only physical way he could express anger besides his snake-like face. "I need the boy Kabuto. We will take him by force if we must."

"He would never cooperate-"

"We just need to feed him the hope of killing Itachi. Ah yes, you see? The boy called Sasuke was standing over the weakened woman, his face contorted with rage as they spoke. "His potential is so... delicious."

The other adjusted his glasses, took note of the pink haired girl standing not to far away, and very aware of the sounds of intense combat below them. He swallowed slightly, hoped the snake did not see.

Fear only pleased his Lord more.

XXX

**Kakashi**

His hand pierced through Haku like the boy was tissue paper, and the blood of youth sprayed everywhere as the Lighting Cutter split his insides on a devastating level. Zabuza blinked in surprise, then made to cut him in half through the boy-

_No! Pull him out of the way! Oh Zabuza, how could you be this cruel!_

He watched himself pull the boy out of harm's way, set him down gently while the rogue ninja stood by.

The memory ended, and he already felt himself forgetting who the boy Haku was, and what weapon the kid's master had wielded.

_Then again... of course I knew he was like that. It's just me forgetting that._

He had accepted his memories were disappearing. He was understandable to death, knew it was coming and was not angry or disgusted he could not stop it. He had met a ninja who could surpass him and he met his fate at an opponents hands. There should be no problem with that when a ninja fell in combat, no greater honor.

He could feel his brain working somewhere, trying to find a solution to prevent himself from dying or losing all personality, but at this point it was only motor reflexes. Emotionally, he was finished. He could not wait to see his friends and sensei, and he found that he was surprised he could actively recall their names. Still, he knew they would be waiting for him on the other side.

_Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. _Those three names, however, had remained. His three students, who he had protected and loved, who had no doubt shed tears about his condition and approaching death. They were alone in the world, unprepared for trials like Sudoar and Orochimaru.

_I've shed so many tears, braved so many trials and conflict. I need do be done, to be able to know I don't have to go back to this pain. Just looking through these memories of pain makes me exhausted; why am I even seeing them? Can't I just die peacefully and humbly. Is that so much to ask for what I've tried to do for the world?_

As a reply, the 'door' he had just exited smoldered and wilted away, until he did not recall any guilt for accidentally striking down the poor boy who he distantly recalled was Haku.

The hallway was nearing the end, he could feel it. He did not know how quickly time was dictated in his own mind or in his beleaguered state, but he knew his memories had been fading for quite some time now. He shuddered, kept his careful pace.

He paused, looked to his left. The door there was slightly ajar, something he had not seen. Shrugging, he opened it wide and stepped inside.

The lush green training ground in Konoha bathed his eyes, the scent of nature full and ripe. He saw himself with his three students whose names still persisted in his mind. They looked slightly younger, different than they were today. Sakura's hair was still long, Naruto's face still bristled with immaturity, and Sasuke had that cold but calm fire in him.

_The first training day, when they tried to take the bells. _He watched the scene unfold like a movie he hadn't seen but had heard about, saw the attempts of three to take the bells but failing in every sort of combat. Finally, he tied up Naruto to the poll and waited for the food to be shared. He felt himself swell with happiness when he saw himself accept the kids.

_And I regret none of it. It was the best of all possible worlds, in a single moment. I can't recall being so happy..._

He felt himself being drawn out of the memory, and he fought to stay. _No! Don't take this away from me! Stop! STOP!_

The door expulsed him unceremoniously, and shut. He clawed at the door, tried to perform Lightning Cutter to smash it open so he could get inside, but could not draw in the chakra or control his anger. He stared in silent frustration and sorrow, waiting for the door to vanish and the memory to fade.

And waited.

Nothing came. The door seemed to bubble and warp a little, as if the attempts of the Memory Jutsu to kill him was trying to, but its actions were in vain. The door remained stubborn and did not change. The memory of the bells did not fade. In fact, if anything, their names were becoming clearer to him.

_They're more than my students; they're my comrades and friends. _He felt his heart swelling with joy at this knowledge, and suddenly it hit him.

Someone like Sudoar, who had gone so far in dismissing his emotions and weaknesses, would not be able to understand. He could think only logically, in facts and action. He could not understand anything else; his own 'invincibility' was a giant weak point.

_Your Gauntlet can remove memories, Sudoar. But it cannot remove love for others. That is something your precious Jutsu cannot touch._

He felt his mind working rapidly, beginning to counteract the jutsu with this knowledge. He repeated their names to himself, both present and past. People he had fought alongside with, people who had valued him, Rin and Obito, Naruto and Sasuke and Sakura, his father. They were more than items in his mind he could remember; they were living beings whom he had felt attachment towards.

The hallway abruptly vanished as the Jutsu cracked, the image of some sort of great monster screaming and breaking apart appearing vividly in his mind. Then there was darkness.

With a start, he realized it was because his eyes were closed. He opened them, felt sweat clinging to him. His clothes were sticky with the virus Sudoar's jutsu, his head ached with the pressure of having almost half his memory decimated. It was on the level of Itachi's Tsukuyomi, that feeling of total pain lasting for weeks when it was really only a moment.

He could tell he had been lying here for at least a day, at least, not a few seconds. The room he was in was alive with advanced technology, more than likely a hospital. The rabble and chaos of the caravan were gone. The fight must've ended long ago, but he could feel his danger sense still being active.

_Where are the kids?_

A small crack suddenly punctured the perfect white walls, something thin and glistening having shoved it's way through. He blinked at it, bemused. His danger sense flared, and he rolled off the bed as the small object suddenly ripped through the wall, destroying it entirely. The wall crumpled apart, and two figures stood on the other side. They were dressed in dark black, with flowing cloaks, and Kakashi immediately knew who they were and who had sent them.

"Horosho Mitake." He acknowledged the white haired villain with a tip of his head, relieved he had not lost his name during his forced amnesia. "And the unknown, shadowy fifth member. A pleasure to see you guys again!"

The one on the left who was called Horosho blinked in surprise at seeing him. The other's face was concealed in a mask, flat with no markings or design. Unlike Sudoar's, which only covered the bottom of his face, this one's covered it completely, with the only deformation in it being a large hole where his eye was.

_And we don't know anything about him. If he wasn't a part of the Black Five, he could have just disappeared and never be found again._

"How are you still alive?" Horosho had found his tongue, but he still wore a confused and shocked expression. "Sudoar hit you with a highly concentrated blast of the Memory Jutsu."

"Maybe I was too strong for the jutsu to work?" he replied, putting in the perfect amount of intimidation that Horosho took on a more concerned look. The other did not seem to react in any way other than the mask tilted slightly.

_He's studying me, probably trying to find a window to attack. _He felt at his sides, but quickly saw that all his ninja tools had been placed on a counter on the other side of the room. All he had was his chakra.

It would be enough.

"On another note, you just tried to kill me, which means you also just tried to kill a jonin from the Land of Fire. That's a pretty high offense, especially since it was an assassination attempt and not a real fight. That not only puts you in universal shinobi law, but it also makes me rather angry."

Morosho was looking positively frightened now, and Kakashi remembered that the man was not all that powerful, only a B-ranked criminal. His crime had been killing his genin pupils when he was their teacher. The reports had involved he did not believe that kids that young should have been fighting, and had instead "sought to give them peace of mind."

The masked man… he was something he would have worry about.

He quickly studied his surroundings. Behind his two opponents was a large, white fountain. It had not been to heavily damaged, though some water had spilled over the sides. It seemed reasonably deep and full. He closed his eyes, tried to envision the water source, more than likely a water pump taking the water from pipes underground…

**"Ice Style: Ice Spike Barrage!" **Horosho's lazy voice, now full of worry, shout out of his mouth a moment before about a dozen shards of chakra-infused ice shards raced towards him. He smiled beneath his mask, his Sharigan already active. He copied the hand signs, allowed his chakra to send some spikes towards the original. At the same time he flung himself across the room, towards his ninja tools-

The masked man was there already, a single kunai in his hand. He darted left, out of the blade's way, but somehow the criminal seemed to guess this and allowed the knife to track him, and he felt it dig painfully into his left arm.

He dropped down onto the ground, ducking below the man's foot. Rolling across the ground, he pulled the kunai from his arm and flung it back at the sender-

Who was no longer there, but back at the hole he had created in the building. To his disappointment, Morosho was also still standing, still shaken but unharmed. A small wall of ice was slowly fading away, his own ice spikes also fading in front of it where they had been stopped.

"You won't leave here that easily, Kakashi Hatake," Morosho said evenly. "We are under strict orders that you are to die. We may have not expected you to still be alive, or even moving, but that does not change our resolve. We fight for a cause we believe in, just like you."

"Problem is, your cause is a bit, oh I don't know, insane?"

"Take it how you will. Either way, conflicting goals are inevitable. Everyone must face conflict, just as we do now. The true question is, however… who's desire is more potent?"

XXX

**Other**

He looked upon his nemesis with coldness, a stare of pure venom that would have made any lesser man shrink away with fear. Juruko was made of tougher stuff, however; he remained still, looking with undisguised sadness at him.

He felt his face contort beneath the mask he wore. It was for show, really. His face bore no ugly mark or scar that he wished to hide. The mask had simply become apart of him. He had not wanted to conceal his whole face, but rather allow himself to be somewhat shrouded. He felt it gave him a more ominous presence in the company of lesser humans.

The small blonde boy made a movement with the intention of taking out tools from his pouch. Sudoar dashed forward and brought his fist into the boy's gut and twisted, so that he was moving almost faster than the laws of physics would allow. The boy flew from his outstretched arm and twisted in midair, hitting the ground a few yards away with a painful _crunch._

Juruko was behind him. The cool tip of a kunai was at the base of his neck.

"It's over, Sudoar. Don't make me do this." The pleading in the other's voice was disgusting and worthless. Hadn't he understood by now that he didn't care for such weak attempts? All that mattered was accomplishing his goal.

He grabbed the kunai by the blade, barely aware of the pain and blood, and ripped it from his old companion's hand. Juruko was shocked enough that he stumbled backwards, and he took the opportunity to land a devastating strike in his ribs. The sound of the rib cracking made him feel slightly resentful, as he did not wish for the fight to end so quickly.

To his delight, Juruko ignored the broken rib and launched himself at him, knocking Sudoar off his feet and sending the cloaked villain sliding across the floor, pushing chunks of marble everywhere on the floor.

**"Lightning Style: Discharge of a Thousand Men!" **Sudoar snapped his face towards his opponent, shocked Juruko was trying to use such a high level jutsu so early in the fight. The ground trembled for a moment, and then completely splintered as a monsoon of electricity raced towards him from where Juruko was standing. The marble turned black and cracked with the heat of the power heading towards him, and he leaped nimbly into the air.

Of course, it wasn't enough. A tendril of electricity raced up his leg and instantly numbed and blackened it, an he landed awkwardly to the ground as his left leg collapsed beneath him. He smiled at Juruko's look of relief. He no doubt thought the fight was over.

_How wrong you are, my old friend._

He placed his hands together and performed a quick series of hand signs. The Gauntlet made him clumsy at times, but he was still able to perform the jutsu. He placed the hand not covered in the strange material on his leg, and a green aura suddenly surrounded both.

"I see the Gauntlet allows you to perform medical ninjutsu." There was a steep tone of disdain in Juruko's voice. "How could you have delved so deeply in the forbidden, Sudoar? How could you have sunk to this level?"

"I have acquired tremendous power," he replied smartly. "More than any Kage has ever possessed. How can you say I have 'sunk to this level'? Rather, I have ascended beyond anything this insignificant continent has ever seen!"

"You have lost sight of what it means to be a ninja in your quest for achieving your goals and power."

"Perhaps I have." The green aura faded, and he flexed his leg experimentally. Completely cured. He got up and faced Juruko upright. "Being a ninja no longer matters. It is such a weak, wasteful society anyways. All a ninja does is fight and kill for their betters. There is no honor there."

"And where is _your _honor?"

He laughed aloud. "Why should I try and defend myself for whether I have honor? I lived the life of a shonobi; of course I do not possess honor! When my plan proceeds, however, there won't be any _need _for a word like honor. We will live in a world of tranquility and peace! No more war! How can you not see how perfect my plan is, Juruko?"

The other closed his eyes, and Sudoar found himself increasing in anxiety as he waited for an answer. When Juruko still did not answer, he felt himself side over to anger. "You think of me as the ultimate evil, is that it? You think of my plan as insane? You, who abandoned his village so that I could not possess the means to accomplish my plan. We are both of the same scum, Juruko. I see now how much we are white and black. Water and vinegar." He pointed towards his opponents, and he found himself shouting with rage as the other still stood before him with his eyes closed. "We are destined to fight, and one of us is destined to die! My plan will benefit thousands, if not millions! Your delicate system of morality will thus place _me _the victor!"

"You are to far gone."

He stopped, surprised. "What?"

Juruko opened his eyes, gestured towards the body of the boy called Naruto. "How can you benefit people when your hurt them? You tossed this child aside like trash because it meant you could kill me. For you, its not about morals. You are one-sided in your goals, Sudoar. Perhaps you originally believed you would benefit people, but the Gauntlet has corrupted you. You have grown to used to murder and crime for you to consider your mission to be a blessing for the world. You said you possess power... instead, you have allowed it to possess you."

The crack in his mask widened, grew larger and darker, until with a loud _crack, _a portion of it fell away.

Beneath it, his teeth were bared with venom, his mouth frothing with uncontained fury.

Juruko saw this, and Sudoar saw his eyes grow watery. "You have indeed gone to far to one side. You are no longer the Sudoar I knew in the Land of Lightning. I will not restrain myself from killing you and stopping this plot. I offer you one more chance for change..."

He gave no verbal response. Instead, he adopted a sparring pose, mocking Juruko to make the first move.

_And I will hold no mercy for you. This is goodbye, my friend. _He looked up, through the hole in the ceiling above. Through it, he could see the bright light of the stars above, looking down upon the two humans who wielded one of their own.

Then he heard the lightning crackle, and there was no more time to think.


	12. Chapter 12- When Titans Meet

**Just a heads up: I do plan to finish this story! I'm not going to drop it off, no matter what space will be in between new chapters. Yes, I'm working on a new story. Chances are I will interchange between this one and that. However, the new story about Dosu is going to be very short, probably six chapters. This one is going to stretch on don't worry, though we are indeed drawing to a close on this!**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy this new chapter.**

She walked into the room, unsurprised to still see the pile of papers on the desk. Her mistress was somewhere behind them, she knew.

"Lady Tsunade?"

A pile of papers collapsed followed by a startled snore. A lank of blonde hair, droopy eyes, and pale face greeted Shizune.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I was wondering if you had received a report from Team 7 in the Land of Dunes, they have not reported back for some time."

The pale face blinked. "The Land of Dunes? Team 7? What on earth are they doing there?"

Shizune looked at her questionably. "The mission from the representative of the Land of Dunes? To escort the caravan?"

The yellow hair shook. "No, that mission was canceled. Team 7 are on border patrol along the Land of Lightning."

Shizune was looking alarmed now. "I don't understand; I _saw _the representative arrive! Sure, it wasn't Diplomat Heyuut, but he was definitely from the Land of Dunes asking about the caravan!"

The Fifth shook her head again. "Nonsense, Shizune, Team 7 are on simple border patrol. No need to worry about them."

XXX

**Kakashi**

He ducked below the four shuriken, his legs straining with the force of his muscles stretching to bring him that low. He felt one skim through his hair, while the other three embedded themselves in the wall.

_I'm having trouble keeping up, in my current state. _The effects of the forced amnesia were ever present, and his body was unconditioned, weak and unsavory. He was in danger of falling over from to much movement, and there was a single, piercing sound in his ear that would not go away.

_Can't let up. One move could get me killed. And that wouldn't be good for the kids._

His opponents, Morosho of the Land of Snow and the mysterious masked man whom Morosho called Bioto, we're relentless. Jutsu, fists, feet, objects in the room, all became weapons against him. His chakra levels were dangerously low while theirs were fresh and rested. He had been fighting a debilitating disease for Lord knew how long, and had been given no time to rest.

Morosho jumped in the air, and two long rods of chakra-infused ice sprang out from his hands. With his Sharingan, he good see that most of the chakra was being concentrated at the points, which were rapidly closing in on his left lung and heart. He sidestepped Morosho's movements and brought his fist down right in the middle of the rods. They snapped, throwing the white-haired Snow ninja off balance. Kakashi gave him a firm kick in the spine, finishing the other's tumble.

A whisper of displaced air behind him. He felt the kunai pierce his body, and he yelled aloud. The one called Bioto had appeared, once more out of nowhere, behind him, and successfully thrust a knife in him. He gave an exhale, then smiled. The Shadow Clone dematerialized, and his real body dropped down from the ceiling onto Bioto's shoulders. The man stumbled forward, breathing in sharply as Kakashi's foot connected with his stomach.

Breathing heavily, Kakashi paused, allowed himself to catch his breath. The other two were already on their feet, were looking at him with bloodlust.

They had switched places in the room. Kakashi was now where the hole in the wall was, and he noted a new sound; water. There was some sort of fountain in the next room from where the intruders had entered from. The water sounded like it was running freely and wildly; no doubt the fountain had been damaged somehow and the water had escaped.

An idea formulated in his head. _A combination... I'd have one shot. Not only are these two filling in any gaps I would have in a one-on-one, but my chakra levels can't afford to go lower... I'll have one try..._

**"Ice Style: Glacier Upwelling!"** There was a rumbling in the ground, and Morosho slammed both his hands to the ground, his face concentrated and heavy. Suddenly, a large spike of ice forced its way out of the ground, all but ripping apart the room. Kakashi leaped back, but suddenly he sensed Bioto was behind him. _Dammit!_

The glacier was tearing apart the hospital, and Kakash could feel an unnatural coldness about the ice. His bones were getting taught, and he found he could see his breath as he flew in midair. He measured he had about three seconds to enact his plan, before Bioto nailed him in the back or the glacier's bulk hit him.

He closed his one good eye, allowed the Sharigan to swivel around the room. The walls were gone, the ceiling gone. The fountain was still spewing its water, but he could not see it.

He took out a single shuriken and threw it at Bioto. The act took up a second, and it was another second for it to race towards the masked villain. Feet sloshed to avoid it, a muffled curse as water no doubt seeped into his boots.

One second.

He closed his eyes. In the darkness, he could see seven people looking at him. Rin, Obito and Minato we're on one side, smiling joyfully at him, encouraging him on. In the middle, his father, hair and face vibrant, the look of the mighty warrior he once was, was smiling brightly at him. And on the right, his current team, his current _family, _looked at him with love and care.

He opened his eyes at the same moment he felt Chidori come alive. It had been a while since he had used the old jutsu, the precursor to Lightning Cutter. But he lacked the chakra for the Cutter, he would have to make do with the lesser version.

He smiled. _Watch me, guys. Here I go._

He saw the kunai aimed at his heart where he was landing, and he shifted his body so that it tore through his side. Bioto took another sharp intake of air, this time of alarm. He hurriedly tossed Kakashi's body out of the way, and the Chidori sailed past towards the ground-

-into the waiting, readily conductive water. Bioto screamed, the first sound Kakashi recalled him actually making aloud. Electricity flooded his body, arcs of blue lightning going up and down the black cloaked body. Kakashi took the Chidori out of the water, and Bioto slipped and fell into the water.

_That's that. Time to leave._

The glacier had stopped growing, but the cold was becoming very prominent now. Frost was lacing the broken walls, the ground. Somewhere on the other side of the glacier, Kakashi heard Morosho laugh.

"Well, Hero of the Sharingan? How do you intend to fight _this?_"

"I don't," he replied shortly, holding the Chidori in front of him, scanning the glacier intently for the main source of chakra. He found it, and saw the body jolt with surprise at his statement . "However, my thanks for making the exit more visible."

There was a gasp on the other side. "What?!" Scrambling feet, and Morosho popped around the side of the glacier.

_There. _He raced forward, feeling just like a young shinobi again, when he had first invented Chidori. He saw Morosho's eyes widen with shock at the blur of his body, then red splashed into his eyes and he had to squint it out.

The glacier instantly melted and disappeared. He withdrew his fist from Morosho's chest and looked out into the night sky, where the stars and moon hung above, commending his victory.

A swish of cloak, movement behind him. He whirled, but no one was there.

_That's the problem, of course. Bioto's body isn't there. _He looked up towards the Palace, drawn to it by the flames and rubble falling out of it. _But no time to worry about it now. Time to stop this stupid plot and go home._

XXX

**Sakura**

"Sasuke, don't!" He did not seem to adhere, did not seem to know she was there. "Sasuke!"

The defeated woman, Cecilia, was looking at Sasuke with undisguised fear. He eyes were popping out of her head, locked onto the long, thin steel.

_Sasuke... please._

The sword descended, and fluidly sliced off Cecilia's head.

She screamed.

Sasuke looked upon the body unsmiling. His mouth turned into snarl. Cecilia's body was dissipating into smoke.

She stopped cold. _A shadow clone! But where- _She looked up, saw red hair in the ceiling, and a few inches below it, a glint of steel.

"Sasuke, above you!"

The real Cecilia jumped down sword flashing. Sasuke barely caught the strike, and he stumbled backwards on his left leg. However, he send a barrage of fire at his attacker, causing her to jump back and give up the advantage.

"You're a fast one," Sasuke commented. The black tattoo's of the Curse Mark were still all over his body, and Sakura felt herself being repulsed and attracted to them. _I hate to think it, but they might be the only thing giving Sasuke the strength to match this woman. Her skill with a blade is to good for a genin; the Mark is obviously giving his some sort of strength to match her. But still..._

She looked over at their observers. Kabuto looked back at her, gave her a sarcastic thumbs up and smile. Orochimaru, however, was fixated upon Sasuke. She was scared at how hungry he looked, how much it looked like he wanted Sasuke, to possess him like a prize. It was unnerving.

Sasuke and Cecilia were again locked in combat, flying back and forth across the cracked marble like elegant dancers. The Black Five acolyte was obviously gaining the upper hand; her face was a mask of deadly concentration, and Sasuke was sporting more and more cuts and slashes. _I have to help him! I can't risk losing Sasuke... _She checked her ninja tools. Two kunai, one shuriken, one explosive tag. She rolled up the tag on one of the kunai and made to plant it directly two feet behind Cecilia. She took aim-

"No, Sakura, can't have you doing that!" She gasped, felt Kabuto's rough hands forcing the kunai out of her hand. She smashed her fist into his jaw and he stumbled back with a cry of pain. The kunai clattered to the ground and skittered a little ways away. She made to go after it, but Kabuto's hand gripped her ankle, and she fell.

"Stop trying to interfere, Sakura. Let the two have their match-"

"You mean let Orochimaru have his entertainment!" she spat, and she vainly tried to get Kabuto to let go.

He tsked, and with the hand not holding her performed a quick batch of hand signs. Sakura had no knowledge of his skill; her experience with Kabuto had only been in the Forest of Doom, and that had been revealed to be a fluke. Kabuto was a spy for Orochimaru, confirmed by Naruto and the Fifth Hokage. She had no idea what skills he was capable of. She was about to find out, in an ungainly fashion.

Kabuto's hand became consumed by a light blue haze, and he clasped her other ankle with it. She felt pain blossom like a flower in that leg, and she fought not to yell in pain. She looked at him like a cornered animal, confused.

"Chakra scalpel," he explained, holding up his hand. "It's a nifty tool of mine, being in the medical profession. And of course, it makes a good weapon." He grabbed her other ankle, and this time she whimpered with the pain. She could not feel either of her ankles now, but she felt Kabuto release her. She scrambled forward, found she could not get on her feet. She made to crawl over to the kunai, but Kabuto, on his own two feet, got there first. Sakura put one of her hands in her ninja pouch and grabbed her last kunai.

"Little girls shouldn't be playing with bombs," Kabuto commented. "You were such a good girl in the Forest of Death, don't make me have to kill you- AHHH!"

The knife in his foot caused him to trip and fall over, and the kunai flew towards her direction, but over her. She turned around hurriedly, desperate to help Sasuke. He was faltering now. The Curse Mark was receding, for what reason she could not see or deduce. At any rate, Cecilia was about to beat him. _Not on my watch!_

Her hand closed around the cool handle, and she felt her heart warm with success. She made to throw it again-

The blue hand wrapped around her wrist, and she screamed. Kabuto, his left eye cracked, was looking at her murderously. The bloody kunai that was in his foot was now in his hand. "And little girls shouldn't be with knives either!" She dropped the explosive kunai, helpless. Her knee tried to hit him, but she could not make it extend enough to hurt him. The blue hand released her, then went for her throat. She looked towards Sasuke. He was on the ground now, Cecilia standing over him. Her sword was poised above his neck, her eyes full of malevolent intent.

A roaring sound. Kabuto paused, looked out into the night. Sakura looked to. Screams were coming from the streets, as was the sound of roaring water. Kabuto blinked, his expression one of confusion. "What the..."

The sound of water suddenly grew very loud, and then Kakashi sensei was there, standing on top of a colossal dragon made of blue liquid. Kabuto blinked again, in total shock.

"Hello there, Kabuto, Sakura," Kakashi said lightly, as if they were discussing the weather. "Having some trouble?"

Kabuto instantly released his grip on her, regained his composure. "Just a little problem, is all," the four-eyed monster said breezily.

Kakashi cocked his head playfully. "Alright." He gave a small movement with his hand, and the dragon surged forward and blew into Kabuto's face with alarming speed. The water knocked the other off his feet and away from Sakura. The dragon surged forward, and Sakura saw Cecilia look at it's approach with shock. Then the dragon had hit her to, tossing her off of Sasuke like a leaf. The water surged forward, the dragon dousing the room with countless gallons.

Kakashi looked at the mess he had caused. "Whoops! Slip of the finger." He extended a hand towards her, and she took it gratefully. _That was too close. _She looked over at Sasuke. he was lying on the ground. He appeared to have passed out from exhaustion. _At least its over for now._

Kakashi leaped over to where Cecilia was lying. Her body had struck the wall and was floating in the shallow pool Kakashi had created. Sakura joined him. The woman's red hair cascaded over her face, but her head was twisted at a strange angle. It took a moment for Sakura to realize her neck was broken.

"Like a doornail," Kakashi said lightly.

Sakura blinked, suddenly realizing that Kakashi sensei was awake. "Oh my God! You're alive! How, when?!"

"In a moment, Sakura." Kakashi put a finger to her lips. He pointed to the ground below them. "Listen."

She focused, difficult as it was with her mind blossoming with questions. However, she could hear strange sounds below, screeching and sounds of electricity, as well as muffled sounds of what she thought was lightning.

"Sudoar and Juruko, undoubtedly." Kakashi rolled up his sleeves. "Time to end this little charade of Sudoar's. Let's go."

She nodded, cast a look at Orochimaru. The white faced freak was picking himself up from the water, coughing up some of the liquid while some dripped off him. She allowed herself a quick, small smile at his discomfort. _Serves you right, you devil. _

Then the floor collapsed underneath them and she found herself in a free fall into darkness.

**Naruto**

The air was supercharged by the amount of power being released from Sudoar and Juruko, the electricity visible as it flitted around in the air. Chakra, elemental Lightning, on a scale Naruto had never seen before.

It frightened him.

_This isn't a fight both are going to walk away from. _He thought back to the battle between Kakashi and Zabuza in the months past, of two powerful humans locked into intense combat of supernatural proportions.

The amount of chakra here almost dwarfed that.

_Juruko really has been concealing his power from us. He's more powerful than I thought… same for Sudoar._

The two men abruptly leaped at eachother, at lightning screeched as they connected, and both met in midair and came apart, small trickles of electricity running across their bodies. Juruko pulled out a kunai and the small knife became a hazy blue. It was hurled at Sudoar, who held up the Gauntlet of the Slayer, and the kunai bounced away harmlessly, spluttering its stored chakra towards the intended target.

Sudoar placed his hands together and moved his fingers at an alarming rate, so that Naruto was questioning whether even Kakashi sensei would have been able to see every movement.

Juruko hurled two more electrified kunai at his opponent, but Sudoar suddenly slammed both his hands to the ground, and the air became a lightning storm. Naruto felt a bolt of elemental chakra race above his head, and realized a moment later his hair was on fire. With a cry, he patted out the flame, blew on his hands afterwards. Another yell brought his attention back to the fight.

Juruko was on one knee, a massive bloody stain spreading across his chest. The cloth had melted away, and the final chorus of a lightning bolt echoed away from where it had struck him.

Sudoar was shakily pulling out one of Juruko's electrified kunai from his left shoulder, wrenching it out of his skin. Naruto saw the other's hand quivering uncontrollably from the electrical current now affecting his body.

Then the two were locked in taijutsu, arms and feet becoming a blur, the smashes of flesh and bone the only sound besides the Palace burning around them.

Juruko back flipped away, breathing heavily. Sudoar stood his ground, but he, too, was in no better shape.

There was an odd creaking sound above their heads, and both Juruko and Naruto looked up reflexively. To their surprise, a small crack formed above their head, and water seeped down, to land with a few _plip plops _on Juruko's head. The ceiling creaked again with unease.

**"Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Jutsu!"** An electronic screeching noise sounded like a cannon blast, and then the space around Sudoar erupted into a tornado-like mass of electricity, and it spiraled up, up, up, until the head of a dragon was distinguishable at the end. With another screech, it smashed down to where Juruko was standing-

**"Lightning Style: Dance of the Thunderstorm!"** Naruto gasped as a wave of chakra was released from Juruko's end, and the room became dark as a large storm cloud seemed to filter into the room, shrouding Juruko within it. Sudoar's dragon plummeted into the cloud and immediately vaporized, and the cloud rumbled with pleasure at the absorbed chakra. A second of silence followed, as if the Palace was also stunned such a feat had been performed within its walls. Then the cloud vanished, and Juruko was seen again, standing in a strange pose, with two fingers aimed skyward and his other hand having three pointed towards Sudoar. The Dunes ninja's eyes were closed, in deep concentration.

_He looks like some sort of weird weather vane! What is he doing, where'd the cloud go!_

Sudoar, however, was looking the color of sour milk. "You really want to kill me then?!" he screamed. "So much the better, at last we're on equal footing!" The black cloaked fiend brought his hands together in a brief series of hand signs, signs that Naruto immediately recognized.

_That's Kakashi sensei's jutsu; the Lightning Cutter! _Naruto blinked again as something trickled onto his nose, and he looked up in surprise. To his amazement, the crack that had appeared above Juruko's head had spread towards him, with water leaking through all the way.

The Gauntlet on Sudoar's arm seemed to quiver as a ball of electricity formulated in Sudoar's hand, and to Naruto's bewilderment, the strings of electricity turned from blue to black, the color of night, until slowly there was a ball of darkness in Sudoar's hand.

Sudoar dashed forward, running with blinding speed at Juruko, and the ball of darkness closed in on Juruko with speed rivaling that of Kakashi's…

Juruko's eyes snapped open, and with the boom of an explosion, the loudest sound yet in the entire fight, a huge bolt of Lightning suddenly erupted from the ceiling, completely destroying it. A microsecond afterwards, a torrent of water followed, dousing the entire room with it.

However, the lightning was quicker even than that. It moved with the speed of light, was almost unbound by the laws of time. It was no small strand like the ones the previous jutsu's had used; it was a bolt like from an actual lightning storm, thick and pulsating with energy.

It struck Sudoar in the middle of the chest and ripped through him like tissue paper. The black cloak smoldered and vaporized as the lightning struck through him and passed out the other side. Then the mass of water struck the disabled villain, and the residue electricity flourished, electrocuting his entire body as the water swarmed him like hungry insects.

Naruto looked up at the destroyed ceiling, and saw Sakura and, to his happiness, Kakashi sensei, looking down on him. "Good evening, Kakashi sensei!" Naruto said enthusiastically. "I can't believe you woke up right when we needed you!"

"Neither can I," came the tired reply. "Is Sudoar defeated?"

Naruto looked over at the body. The water was receding now, the water jutsu finished. Sudoar's body eased itself to the ground, until it rested there, motionless. The leftover water around him was stained a dark red.

"Yeah, I'd say he's finished. Good work, Juruko!" There was no reply. "Juruko?"

The Dunes ninja was standing there, a little hunched, staring at Sudoar's crumpled body. Naruto saw that his hands were dark black, burned and smoldered. To his revulsion, Naruto saw that the tips of the fingers had melted away, leaving the tips of white bone visible. Without a word, Juruko collapsed to the ground.

"JURUKO!"

He ran over to the older ninja, now thoroughly distraught. He reached his body and pulled him onto this back. A gaping red hole was in his chest, through the left lung. Naruto did not think Sudoar had been able to strike Juruko, but now he was being told he was mistaken.

"Juruko…"

He heard Kakashi and Sakura drop down through the ceiling and kneel next to him. Kakashi was looking alarmed. "The Lightning Blade… my God…"

"Sudoar hit him with it," Naruto said, his voice monotone. He could not believe it was happening. He was so sure Juruko had not been wounded, had been sure this was the moment of triumph. The good guys win, the bad guys lose. Peace restored and justice ensured. How could this have happened?

"There's… no way to heal him. The damage is so severe." Kakashi was looking with despair on Juruko's wound. "The damage is devastating… the Cutter is a kill technique. Even though Sudoar only brushed him with it, there was too much of a discharge of chakra. He's… going to die."

Sakura looked away, tears in her eyes. Naruto could not stop staring. _This isn't how it's supposed to end… the good guy always comes out standing…_

There was movement at the other end of the room. Naruto looked over, and he felt his heart rise to his throat. _No way…_

Sudoar was upright, slouching heavily, but on two legs. Through the hole in his body Naruto could see the wall at the other side of the room. Blood dripped in the hole, turning the wound in Sudoar into a murky vortex of red and white. But still he stood.

Kakashi sensei stood up, and Naruto felt the air pressure increase as Lightning Blade formed in the other's hand. With a blur, his sensei raced towards Sudoar, intent on killing him-

A whirlwind ripped through the room from Sudoar's outstretched hand, sending Kakashi spiraling away and into a wall, where he slumped to the ground. Naruto hung onto Juruko's body, refusing to let it slip away. There was still air leaving and entering the lips of the fallen warrior, but it was growing faint.

Sakura threw a pair of shuriken at Sudoar, but a small pillar of mud leaped out of the ground in front of Sudoar, intercepted the shuriken. The masked fiend aimed his palm forward and shot out a gust of air at her, sending the pink-haired kunoichi flying away until she hit a large wooden cabinet. The wood splintered as she hurled into it, and she lay in the wreckage unconscious.

Footsteps, quavering and weak, but steady with purpose. Naruto felt a cold hand grab his hair, and he screamed as he was wrenched bodily into the air. Sudoar flung him away like a doll, whispering, "I'll be taking your Star next." Naruto slid across the slick marble floor. He saw Sudoar bend over Juruko gently, prodding, poking around the body. Juruko was still breathing, however faintly. Finally, with a gasp of anticipation, Sudoar wrenched something away from Juruko, and held it up. Naruto saw the small sliver of blue in the light of the fire and moon.

Sudoar bent back over Juruko and made a small movement that Naruto could not see. Then he turned around and looked at him. Naruto glared back, putting as much hatred and venom into his look as he could. Then he saw a small metal spike protruding from Juruko. With a shock, he realized it was a kunai knife, jutting out of his heart.

"This isn't a storybook, boy." Sudoar was walking towards him, slowly, Juruko's Lightning Star clasped in the hadn without the Gauntlet. "There _are _no heroes. There are those who live and those who die, nothing more. There is no one in between. The triumphant hero isn't real, nor is the evil villain. Simply those who want success, and go to any end to achieve it."

Naruto looked at the approaching man, feeling empty, hollow.

"Give me the Star, boy. I don't have time for games any longer. Allow me to fulfill my dream, like you want to fulfill yours. Give me the Star and we will part ways. You won't look upon me again. Just give me the Star and I will craft a reality in which the world will be perfect. I don't want to have to kill a boy with such potential. Just give me the Fire Star..."

Sudoar allowed his voice to trail off. Naruto looked at Juruko, at Kakashi, at Sakura. No one was there to help him. He was alone, very alone. Just him and a man with a dream to recreate the world into a perfect place...

_What's so wrong with that... its not like I'm having a blast in this reality anyways. Maybe it is for the best..._

He put a hand down his shirt, felt the cool touch of the Star. He yanked it from the necklace around his neck, and Sudoar's eyes widened with glee. Naruto put his outstretched hand forward...


	13. Chapter 13- Decisions and Departure

She looked out of the window, looking upon her village. Night was descending like a blanket upon the villagers, and one by one lights appeared both on the ground and in the heavens.

Quiet footsteps, hesitant. She turned, saw Shizune there again.

"My lady?"

"Yes?"

"I checked _all _the border patrols. Team 7 is nowhere among them."

She clasped her hands behind her back, trying to conceal her frustration and concern. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. They appear to not be anywhere in Konoha..."

She rubbed her temples. "I can't understand it... I swear I remembered being told they were on border patrol..."

Shizune was next to her now, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "By who, My Lady?"

She thought hard, but all she seemed to recall was a silhouette in blinding white light. "I can't remember... its all so fuzzy."

The hand left, footsteps went for the door. "I'm getting the medical team organized for mental defunctions."

She nodded, and she sank into her desk as the door closed, hands in her face, wondering where Naruto was.

XXX

**Naruto**

The empty, pitiless bored into him, while behind the mask he knew the mouth was alive with pleasure. The devil himself had extended a hand to him, and here he was, about to grasp it. He was well aware that chances were high Sudoar would simply kill him once the Fire Star was in his possession, but he was to exhausted and distraught to worry about it. Behind the man wrapped in night was Juruko, dead, and his unconscious sensei and teammate. Above him, he knew not whether Sasuke lived or did not.

_Take the Star and fix this twisted world._

He felt skin touch skin, felt cool, smooth material slip from his grasp. The eyes widened, the death mask became more pronounced.

A slithering sound caused pause. Sudoar turned around, Naruto looked around him. A moment later, a large, twelve foot anaconda wrapped itself around Sudoar's legs and upper torso, constricting him in an instant. The hand fell away from Naruto's went towards the snake, gripped it by the throat and throttled it until it sagged and released him. The thin body slid to the floor, dead, then vanished into smoke.

"That was one of my favorite snakes. You'll be paying for that, Sudoar Harmira." Naruto blinked. _No way, what the hell is he doing here? Helping _me_?_

Sudoar seemed to be thinking the same thing. "What on earth are you doing?!" he half yelled, half choked. The gaping wound in Sudoar's stomach was definitely an impairment; Naruto was quite surprised he was able to stand.

"Stopping you from endangering this world," Orochimaru said simply. "This was nowhere in line with what we had planned." He pointed an accusatory finger at Sudoar. "You have planned to take the Stars for yourself from the very beginning, instead of allowing me time for experimentation."

Sudoar laughed. "'Experimentation?' Don't make me laugh! You have planned to take them for yourself; I know what your game is, you delusional old fool. Access to jutsu's from all previous wearers, and the ability to perform them? No doubt there's a jutsu in here that can heal your arms... unfortunately for you, that's not within _my _plan."

Orochimaru took a quiet step forward, and Naruto found himself wishing he could disappear from the spot. There was an angry, malevolent aura about the other that wanted to make him curl into a ball and leave. "We had an agreement, Sudoar. I was curious to see how far you would go on your own, how much you thought I would not discover..."

The Gauntlet came up protectively in front of its owner ready for action. "And what do you know, you fool? Nothing! You know virtually nothing! All your knowledge came from within the Palace from our benefactor; and he has not told you of the Gauntlet's ultimate function-"

"I know that you act virtually alone now," Orochimaru cut in, his voice like a knife's blade. "The Black Five is nonexistent; Morosho, Cecilia, Drel, and more than likely Bioto are dead. You are alone, Sudoar. I am your only aid now; do not throw this beautiful deal away!"

There was a silence as Sudoar looked upon his other. Naruto pulled out his last kunai. His position was giving him an opportunity to strike down Sudoar while his back was turned. The masked villain would have no idea what hit him; indeed, he would never know.

_I need to kill him. Its the only way..._

He inched forward as Sudoar spoke again. "You will find you are wrong there, but allow me to make this clear: the deal was nonexistent to begin with; I used you and your resources. Just a pawn in the salvation for this world."

A gagging sound. Naruto looked over at Orochimaru, and to his disgust, saw something emerging from within the other's throat. Long, thin, it wormed its way out of the mouth, until it rested there.

Naruto rubbed his eyes, disbelieving. _Is that a sword? Coming out of his _throat_? What the hell!?_

Sudoar wasted no time. The Gauntlet and fleshy fingers came together and sent a gust of wind towards the Sannin. Orochimaru sidestepped and then lunged forward, the long sword still lodged in his throat. Sudoar ducked, but his reflexes were horribly slow. The sword slashed through his flailing left arm, and it fell away with a _thud _to the floor. With dismay, Naruto noted it was not the arm with the Gauntlet.

"Enough;Bioto, we're going!"

There was no sound to mark his arrival, but suddenly another masked man dropped out of nowhere. He grapped Sudoar under his armpit and another hand took a grip on the cloak. Then, with a strange sound Naruto was unable to decipher, both disappeared into nothingness. A microsecond later, the blade in Orochimaru's mouth flew through the now empty space.

Silence reigned supreme in the wake of disaster.

XXX

**Sasuke**

The plump daimyo, his feeble advisors, the owners of the village's mines, a handful of prominent merchants, the Captain of the Guard Dalto, the acting Captain of the Ninja Dortmuller, Orochimaru and Kabuto, and then finally Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and himself were all present at the Emergency Meeting of How to Stop Sudoar.

Quite simply, there was chaos.

The Guard Captain Dalto was insistent that all personnel leave the Palace, for risk of structural damage causing the building to collapse. The daimyo was absolutely unwilling to leave his lavish establishment. His living quarters and main dining room had been untouched, and from Sasuke's understanding, they were the only two rooms the obese leader really used. His advisors, who never seemed to offer their opinions but rather fought to agree with the daimyo, were in consent.

Dortmuller was a capable fellow, nowhere as strong as Juruko was, but he had proved to be faithful to the Land of Dunes, and for that reason he had been hastily and unceremoniously been gifted Juruko's title of Captain of the Ninja. His logic was not flawed either; it had been made clear that Sudoar and his remaining accomplice had no reason to leave the Palace, when most of the rooms had been empty for centuries. He suggested that the Land of Dunes hire sensory ninja to scout out the Palace, either be sure they weren't in the building or find them and kill the duo.

"The Gauntlet's history is known to all of us; when all the Stars are taken, the ultimate jutsu of the Gauntlet will be able to be performed."

"Not all of us are versed in the Gauntlet's history," Orochimaru bit out. "As I recall it was a carefully guarded secret of the Land of Dunes..."

Dortmuller nodded. "And rightfully so. We would have asked you and the Konoha ninja to leave, but the situation is too dire to led tradition cloud our mind." He gestured to Captain Dalto. "The Gauntlet was an artificat in our possession up until a number of years ago, when a traitor within the Palace allowed Sudoar to steal the Gauntlet. Dalto was the Keeper of the Gauntlet, his knowledge of it is unrivaled. Since then, he has acquired almost all of the legendary Star pieces required to activate the Great Memory Recreation Jutsu-"

Kakashi held up a hand. Dortmuller nodded, but there was loud commotion from the other side of the table. The daimyo had begun eating a strange plate of exotic barnacle. He and his advisors had lost all attention to the matter. The mine owners and the merchants had also slowly drifted to their own devices.

Sasuke sighed. _How these people live. If only they were all ninja, they might understand the gravity of the situation, might actually act accordingly._

At any rate, Kakashi seemed to decide canceling them out of the conversation was best. "Can you please describe what the Great Memory Recreation Jutsu is?"

Dalto nodded gravely. "You have been under influence of the standard Memory Jutsu, yes?"

Kakashi nodded uneasily.

"This is the same thing, but on a much grander scale. The range of the jutsu is based on the height of the performance, the skill of the wielder, and, of course, the Gauntlet. It is a legendary jutsu the original founders of the village thought best forgotten, which is the reason for the secrecy of it. However, it would seem that our ancestor's measures were unable to prevent this."

Orochimaru leaned forward. "What do you mean by... Recreation?"

Dortmuller adjusted his glasses, looking to speak. They were thin, rimmed with silver, giving him a more diginified appearance. Without them, he would have looked rather uncultured, with thick, uncontrolled brown hair, various war paint. However, his words were not lost on them. "It means destroying the mind of those affected and replacing it with... whatever the wielder wishes. As you can see, we are dealing with something on an astronomical scale."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "So this is what he meant by a New World, one of perfection... of course it would be perfection- for _him. _It's his own ideas he's putting into the jutsu... we'd all become Sudoar's if he succeeds."

Dalto nodded. "Precisely. Which is why we are ordering you to leave the village."

They all blinked. Sasuke spoke first. "Excuse me? You tell us this, giving us the option to stop this madman, and you tell us to _leave_?"

"Sasuke's right; that's insane!" Naruto interjected. "We're your best fighters- no offense," he apologized to Dortmuller, who's face reddened slightly.

Dalto nodded. "Yes, but you also still have the Fire Star. Sudoar cannot perform the Jutsu without it. Therefore, you must flee so he cannot acquire it, thus sealing our doom."

"Wouldn't you rather try and fight him and stop him once and for all?" Naruto snarled. "Instead of living in fear, knowing he could return and wreck your village again-"

"Countless lives have been lost because of your arrival making Sudoar's plans bear fruit early," Dortmuller said quietly. "You have given him the best possible chance to enact his plan and damn the world and its inhabitants to oblivion, can you not see this? He will stop at _nothing _until his plan is complete."

"Well I don't care." Sasuke looked at his teammate in shock. Naruto's arms were folded, his eyes blazing with stubborn fury. "I say we fight and kill him and stop this once and for all. Then we destroy the stupid Gauntlet of the Slayer and never worry about this again!"

Dalto choked on a sip of water he was taking. "Preposterous, the very idea! The Gauntlet is an artifact that must be returned-"

"The Gauntlet is a dangerous weapon of mass destruction that can enslave the world," Kakashi corrected. "Naruto is right there; should Sudoar be captured, the Gauntlet must be destroyed. Yes, we will leave. Do not worry about hiring sensory ninja; when we return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, we will alert them to the danger and summon as many ninja as possible to stop Sudoar. This will take a week at the most."

Dortmuller dipped his head in gratitude. "Thank you for understanding, Kakashi Hatake, and Captain Dalto and I will discuss what will become of the Gauntlet. However, for the present time, we have already provided food and water for your journey back." Dortmuller turned to Orochimaru and Kabuto. "Naruto tells us you were involved in this plot of Sudoar's... while we have no proof, I am also going to ask the Land of Sound be removed from our village's boundaries for two months. Any Sound ninja spotted within our territory in that time will be considered open hostility."

Orochimaru stood up, outraged. "We are apart of the same treaty, and you treat us like _this_?"

"Yes, we are." Dortmuller gave the other a hard look. "I have not trusted you since the Triad was formed, and it would seem my suspicions were correct. I do not see the Land of Sound and the Land of Dunes being allies for much longer." He looked over to Kakashi and gave a thin smile. "It would seem we have found a true ally in this damn mess."

Kabuto stepped forward, glasses shining furiously. "That is not your decision to make, _Captain _Dortmuller. Rather, the Daimyo has the final say, doesn't he?"

Dortmuller's smile grew. "My Lord, another tray of Kumese Barnacles?" The daimyo responded with a resounding belch and simple nod of the head as he devoured another plate.

Kabuto's face blanched to the same shade of Orochimaru's.

XXX

**Kakashi**

"Grab your gear, team, and we'll meet at the gate in an hour."

Captain Dalto walked over to Naruto, spoke something to him, then steered him away, beginning to talk to him urgently. Kakashi let it slide. The meeting was over, the daimyo fatter than ever. Only Dortmuller remained, looking awkward and out of place.

He walked over to him. "Something the matter, Captain?"

The other nodded. "The conditions for the jutsu activation, aforementioned, included height. I am not well versed in the outside world, but I am quite sure in saying the Palace extends towards the heavens higher than almost any structure."

Kakashi nodded, understanding flooding him. "Sudoar isn't only staying in the Palace for shelter, he plans to activate the jutsu at the top of the Palace?"

Dortmuller nodded queasily. "That is my thought exactly." His face fell into shadow, he looked away. "I know you do not look upon me highly, Kakashi of the Sharingan. I know I am an outcast of my village, just like every ninja in the Land of Dunes. I have looked up to you for some time as an idol... but I cannot help but feel your distaste for me."

Kakashi swallowed, heat rising to his face. It was true, his thoughts about Dortmuller had not been one of praise. In fact, he had doubted him from when he first laid eyes on him. But he had never been openly confronted about being looked up to by someone. The words drilled into him, and he found he could not respond.

The Dunes ninja looked at him, his face sorrowful. "If Sudoar plans to capture the Palace, I know none of the men in the Palace can match him. I will probably die. But I only wanted to speak with you personally, as my only wish to the World."

He found his tongue. "I am...honored by your words. Thank you, Dortmuller."

The other smiled a little. "That means more than you know. One day, I plan to turn the Land of Dunes into a reasonable nation, one that does not have to recruit from scum and villainy. If we all survive this ordeal, I would be honored if you could assist me."

Kakashi nodded once. he could not do more. He wished only to leave this strange land, where some wished to desperately change their life, and others so desperately clung to it. It disturbed him. "Me and my team need to leave, Dortmuller. I will return with reinforcements from Konoha, and then we will _both _transform this village into something greater."

He left without waiting for a reply, found himself at the gates in ten minutes. He stood there in silent thought for another twenty until Sasuke, Sakura, and finally Naruto had arrived. The blonde genin was bhaving strangely, almost secretively. He decided it was simple battle stress and worry about the village and sought to ignore it.

"Alright guys, we need to hurry back. This village needs Konoha more than ever. We've struck a great victory by outcasting Orochimaru and the Sound, and now have drawn the Land of Dunes to our side. By defeating Sudoar we can seal this and better our village within the World."

The three students gave silent, disillusioned nods. All three were exhausted, broken, with their own new problems to think about.

_The sooner this ends, the better._

As one, they took off silently, racing towards the Leaf Village, desiring only to leave their memories of the Land of Dunes behind.

Naruto looked back several time, and on the sixth time he looked he smiled broadly, began leaping with renewed strength. Kakashi blinked, looked back. Captain Dalto was there, waving goodbye. The pale face was undistinguishable from the distance, but he swore he saw Dalto smiling as broadly as the mischievous blonde, like they were playing some sort of game that the other three were unaware of...


	14. Chapter 14- Among the Dunes

He observed their leaving with satisfaction. _At last everything can fall into place._

The foursome vanished, he waved a hand carelessly. His eyes remained focused on the retreating orange jacket.

Some other villagers, probably those that had heard of their actions in fighting Sudoar, had joined him, as well as the other Captain.

_All fools._

Many of the people were covered in soot, blackened face. Some of their clothes were stained red, whether from their own blood or that of a comrade. Tears studded some of their faces.

_Save them for what is to come. Save them for the joy of the new World._

The Leaf ninja we're little blips in the Dunes, but he saw the tiniest speck of white. _A smile? Must be. Strange..._

He smiled back, and remained so until he was left alone in the wreckage around him.

XXX

**Sasuke**

_How could I have been so weak? Having to rely on Kakashi to save my hide again... why can't I just win on my own!_

His teeth gnashed together as they leaped through the darkness. Progress was faster than before, without the caravan slowing them down. They ran freely across the sand in the Wild Lands, bound for Konoha. They were all exhausted, and would have to stop soon before they simply collapsed from exhaustion.

_To much in the last few days... I should be able to handle it! What's wrong with me?!_

His neck burned, and he fought the urge to stab a kunai into the Curse Mark out of sheer fury. His resolve had weakened, he had allowed it to consume him again. The black, angular tattoos spreading across his body, giving him a new sense of strength and power...

_And it still wasn't enough to kill the woman. Am I really this weak?_

_She was leagues above you, _another voice said, one of soothing calm. _You have time to reach her level, and then exceed it! You expect to much of yourself in to short of time-_

_I want the power _now_! I want to be strong now, so I don't have to come running to Kakashi or Naruto! He's surpassing me- Naruto, of all people!_

_Naruto is growing in strength, but so are we, _the second voice chimed in. _We just need patience and training to reach our objective._

_Patience, _snorted the first voice derisively. _You crackpot fool, we need the strength now! Just look at what happened to us with the female swordsman!_

The cool air whipped against his face, pulling him out of his internal crisis. Naruto was beside him, seemingly waiting for a reply.

"What do you want?"

"I was just asking if you were okay, is all," he replied defensively. "Sakura was telling me what happened-"

"She doesn't know what happened," he cut him off venomously. "I'm fine. Let's just get home so we can get reinforcements."

"But your Curse Mark-"

"I said I'm fine!"

"Easy you two," Kakashi's modulated voice broke in. "Simmer down, I don't want to be pulling apart a fight now, of all times-"

"He started it-"

"Mind your own business-"

"Alright!" Kakashi stopped, and the two slammed into his outstretched arms. Sakura came to a halt behind them.

Their sensei rubbed a hand through his hair. "There's to much pressure in the atmosphere. Let's just call camp here and reach Konoha rested in the morning. Are we clear?" he was looking at Naruto as he said this, obviously waiting for his protest. To their mild surprise, Naruto nodded his head and unpacked his sleeping bag from the Land of Dunes.

He ripped open his bag, his movements hasty and jumbled. _When they fall asleep, I can go practice my Chidori. Can't stop training, even for an instant. I always need to get stronger._

The two voices in his head seemed content with this. They remained silent as he clumsily laid out the bag, eager to go out and train.

"Sasuke, can we talk?" Kakashi was there, the other two having gone away with three gourds to look for a water source marked on a map given to them. They were alone in the darkness.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"You don't have to take that tone with me. I'm your teacher; I only want to help you-"

"I don't need help."

"Sasuke, stop this." Kakashi put a warning hand on his shoulder and tightened so that he could not move. He struggled uselessly, his anger not far beneath the surface. _Always being held back, always being told what to do, I'm sick of it!_

"Look what's happening to you," Kakashi tutted. "You're angry and confused, unsure of your own power and wondering how you didn't win your battle, aren't you?"

That brought him pause, but he had no wish to give the other satisfaction. "No, it's not. Let me go."

"I'm not done," he said lightly. "I also saw your Curse Mark almost get out of control again. are you alright?"

He gave no reply, only began struggling again.

Kakashi grabbed his other shoulder in a blink, and before the air had escaped his lungs in a grunt he was on the ground, his sensei plastered above him and holding his body flat. "Do you want that Curse Mark to consume you?" he asked. "Is that your game? To throw everything away to Orochimaru just to have your little niche of power?"

He gave no reply.

"You're beginning to grow dangerous, Sasuke. You cannot see it because you have become consumed by your desire for revenge, but it is clear to all of us. Sakura told me you tried to decapitate Cecilia during your fight."

"So?"

"Can you have no second thoughts about murder?" Kakashi sighed heavily, genuinely depressed. He had never heard such disappointment, such anxiety in an older man's voice. It was strange to see a grown man sounding so sad. "Your path is your own; I merely try to guide you to the right one. But you are growing blind, your path distorted between right and wrong."

"I know what I'm doing, Kakashi. Let me up."

"You had a crossroads when you were given that Mark; to Orochimaru or to the village. Now those roads are becoming one. Your actions are not giving you any choice any longer. Can you not see this, Sasuke? You are standing in your own grave if you don't stop."

The last sentence brought a burst of anger from him. "Is that a threat? Are you saying you'll kill me if I deter from _your _path?"

"I'm saying to be careful of your choices! If you choose to remain in the village, you can still avenge the Uchiha name; with your friends on your side! But if you choose the dark path, you will find yourself alone and friendless. You may accomplish your goal, but what then? You will be alone with no one to go back to." He got off of his student, and the young Uchiha stood up quickly. "I want you to choose better, Sasuke. That's all I want from you. Do you understand?"

"I understand." He ran off into the darkness without another word, the Chidori lighting up the entire area as he plunged it towards one of large rocks littering the landscape.

XXX

**Sakura**

The silence hug about them as plentiful as the air. He had attempted conversation, only to be met by her silence. Her mind was in the clouds, unaware or ignorant to the reality around her. The image of Sasuke's blade tearing through the helpless woman was engrained into her mind. It had merely been a clone, but the _intent _of it...

_Sasuke... what's happened to you? When did you become this... this monster? _She could not picture his face without the leering paleness of Orochimaru standing behind him. The look of hunger, of claiming a prize etched into his face, the abyssal snakelike eyes hovering above...

Water soaked into her feet. Naruto was behind her, a hand stretched out towards her. She had walked into the natural spring, lost in her thoughts. She almost decided to disregard the water, to imagine it wasn't there. She concentrated on an image in her mind of Sasuke and her together as children, his quiet and hidden emotions still locked away, her eyes set dreamily on her.

But she could not imagine them as how they were, only as children. The murderous intent in Sasuke's eyes, on his face, the curl of his lip as he swung the sword... they had replaced the teammate Sasuke Uchiha she knew, had warped her image of him. She knew he was still there somewhere... but under lock and key.

_I'm sure he's still there..._

"Sakura, let's go back. I already filled the gourds." Naruto's voice tried to bring her back to the present, but she refused. She tried to build a happy image of her and Sasuke, but it would not come. A tear rolled down her face, she wiped it away in a hurry.

"Sakura... oops!" A strange sound emitted from behind her, like hissing smoke, quickly muffled by a splash, and a new spray of water skimmed the back oh her cloth. She turned, and saw one of the gourds floating away a good five feet away from him. Her eyes narrowed. _Looks more like he threw it. _She sighed. _He probably wanted my attention... we should be heading back. I need to stop thinking about the past and worry about what happens now..._

"Uh, Sakura!" Naruto's voice took on a different, befuddled tone. A mixture of anticipation and concern. She turned, and blinked. A fat, orange toad with black rimmed eyes that had appeared from nowhere was holding the gourd in its mouth. "Sakura, maybe you should get it?" He sounded nervous, expecting something.

The toad gave Naruto a strange look, then hopped away with the gourd in its mouth. Sakura made a move to grab it, but far to late. It hopped out if sight and skittered away.

"Sakura, you missed it!" He sounded more relieved than upset. She chose not to question it. She splashed some water on her face, blinked it out of her eyes. The darkness hung around them like a cloak. She allowed it to comfort her. _What I would give to just take this pain away..._

Some quiet splashes behind her, a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura... I...I know you don't want to talk. I'm worried about Sasuke to, but I'm sure he'll be back to normal soon. We just need to have some faith in him."

"But what if he doesn't change Naruto?" She was surprised she had even replied. Sakura didn't look at him, used her pink hair to conceal her face from his searching blue eyes.

"He will, I know it. We all experience pain and overcome it. He'll do the same. I'm worried for him now because I can't bear thinking a friend of mine is in trouble, but I know in the long run he'll be happy again. Team 7 will be back before you know it!"

"Shut up."

She could hear his heart stop for the smallest of moments. His stare was able to be heard. He was at a loss of words, for a change. "What?"

"I said shut up!" She turned around, not caring that he could see her tear- stricken face. "You always think everything will be fine, Naruto, like some stupid little story book! But not everything always follows a pattern, not everything will go right! You have some stupid, unshakeable attitude that somehow everything will turn out right, but just face the facts- Sasuke's changing, he's growing detached from us. I wouldn't be surprised if he left the village someday..."

He looked at her like she was a madman. Perhaps she _was _one. She no longer knew.

"Team 7 is collapsing, Naruto, and there's nothing you can do about it. You and Sasuke are too different from one and other to understand each other. You're both growing so strong, but in different directions, can't you see? Or are you blind to reality? Can you only see things the way you want to see them?"

"That's might rich, coming from the purpose who's lost their grip on their own reality." His words came out cold, harsh, so unlike him that she stopped. Anger was in his face, disgust in his eyes. "We're _all _changing Sakura, and it looks like you're doing it for worse. So what if Sasuke starts to deter from his path? That's why we're friends, to lead him back to it. Even if he _did _leave the village, I would hunt for him until I found him again. Are you saying that if he did go you would just let him go? If so, then maybe it's not Sasuke growing detached from Team 7- maybe it's _you._"

He finished talking, but he did not stay in front of her. He walked off, deeper into the spring. She watched him go, unsure of what her emotions were. She had half a mind to go and hurt him for talking to her, but deep down his words had struck home. _What have I been thinking..._

"You can go and take the gourds back, I'm going to stay here a bit." He was farther away, up to his stomach in water. He did not look at her.

She silently stepped out of the water, picked up the gourds. She looked back at him, wanting to talk but unable to speak. _He really is changing, though. But not like Sasuke; he's growing brighter, not darker. Maybe he could bring Sasuke back to the light. _She found herself smiling consciously, the first thing she remembered doing by herself since leaving the village. _Time to return to reality._

XXX

**Naruto**

Her retreat without protest helped enormously. He was afraid he was going to have had to subdue her somehow, and his skill with genjutsu was next to zero for doing so. He exhaled his held breath. He stood there for a moment, unsure of his next move for a moment.

"Gamakichi! It's safe to come out!"

The orange toad popped its head out of the water in front of him, the gourd in its hands now. "Real smooth with that Summoning Jutsu, kid. She almost saw it, and then everything would've gone downhill from there."

"Ah, give me a break." He looked down at the orange toad, took the gourd. "I'm just gonna send you back now, alright? I need to get moving."

"What, already? Come on, its been a while since I've been summoned! Let me have a taste of that nice earth air."

"I'm just not in the mood, Gamakichi. Really, I'm not. I just want to get back to the Land of Dunes and kill the bastard who's responsible for causing all this grief."

"Whoa, kid, whoa! Language is a big no-no with me, alright?"

"You smoke a cigar and swear all the time?"

"I only did it once! And, uh..."

"Sorry, bud. I just don't have the time. I need to set things straight."

The toad frowned unhappily. "Just be careful, kid. If you're gonna do this alone, then my luck to you."

"Thanks." He did the hand signs, and Gamakichi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Alone.

_Should I have spoken so roughly to Sakura? I don't want to hurt her, I just want to show she's thinking all wrong! She's devoted to thinking everything is wrong, and can't be fixed! Of course we can fix it- together! Why can't she see this?_

**_Maybe because she doesn't have an all-powerful beast inside of her that gives her more strength than the strongest shinobi alive?_**

His shoulders sagged. _What do you want now? I need to get going._

**_Don't make me laugh. You're exhausted without me helping you regenerate your stamina. And I'm telling you I'm not interested in going back there. This Sudoar person... his chakra is darker than most, and that's saying something. There's only been a handful that are more powerful and potent than him. Facing him, especially in this weak thing you call a body, would be suicide. Not my plan._**

_We're going, you stupid fox, and that's that._

**_The girl was right- you_ do _think that it's like a storybook! _**

_No, that's not it-_

**_Then what is it, boy? Do you think I'm going to walk willingly into the arms of death? I have better things to do. If you're just looking to kill yourself, then at least let me do it so I can be free again._**

_This isn't suicide. This is a well thought about plan me and Captain Dalto have. We'll beat Sudoar and stop this crazy plan of his, easy peasy._

**_Listen, you stupid child. Not everything will go your way. I'm not helping you go back to the Land of Dunes. In fact, I think I'll destroy your mind if you try._**

_Sudoar will do that anyways._

**_Then I'll boil your flesh until you turn black-_**

_Why don't any of you understand I DON'T CARE! Sudoar's going to brainwash us into perfect little mini-me's- but no, all you care about is getting away. Why do all of you run from reality? So what if death is at the end- that's that! Why run to an illusion when you can confront what's real! At least I can say I wasn't a coward, and die with dignity rather than cowering in my village praying everything will be fine._

**_You should be an orator. At the University of Stupidity._**

_Boil me alive, don't give me your help, whatever. I'm going._

**_You're to exhausted, boy. You would never make it._**

_Watch me._

He exited his inner conscious, took a trudging step out of the water. It was true, he was exhausted. The normal surge of energy from the creature inside him was absent; his recovery of strength was slow. Now, he was on his own.

_I can do it._

**_No you can't._**

He shut the monster out of his mind. He began to jog, his legs aching with each movement. The pressure to stop was excruciating; his muscles were screaming for pause. He ran for an hour, past dune after dune, the sand getting caught in his shoes, his clothes. He devoured a quarter of the gourd, keeping his hydration up. The Wild Lands had dropped to freezing, with no mass to keep the heat in. He grew cold, shivering, but still he ran on.

**_Stop running boy, its useless. You'll die of exhaustion if you don't._**

_Better to die on my own two feet than crouched in a corner._

On he went, through the blackness, like a blind man stumbling. Up and down he went, over the dunes, rocks, debris. In the far, far distance, the lights of the Palace of the Dunes began to become visible, a beacon of hope.

Still the fox spoke to him. **_Just stop, boy. I will really kill you if you don't. _**

_What's the point in that? It'll just kill you too._

**_Give up._**

_No._

The cold ate at him like a swarm of insects, biting his unprotected skin. He ignored it, kept running forward. Another hour passed of pure exhaustion, pain. The fox continued to batter him with discouragement, but still he ran on, his determination refusing to be muzzled. On, and on, through the endless sand. The Palace seemed to grow no closer, just hanging mockingly in the distance.

In the middle of the third hour, he finally collapsed, his muscles refusing to cooperate. His inner motor senses had taken over; his brain's survival instincts had taken over. It demanded rest, and it was forcing him to do so. The gourd fell away from his hand, the last few drops spilling carelessly into the sand.

**_Told you so. Let's go back._**

_No._

**_Enough of this stupidity! Realize when you can't go on! Just give up!_**

_Never... not as long as my friends are in danger._

**_They don't even care about you! Look at the girl; the way she yelled at you! She obviously dislikes you. And the Uchiha boy; he grows darker everyday. Soon he will turn against you, I know it. And your sensei looks upon you with disapproval, your strange activities. He fears you because I am inside you, watches you for the slightest sign of wildness! You are unloved and uncared, you mine as well give your affections to a wall._**

_At least I would be able to protect something. You hateful monster, what would you know? You're too self-centered to realize that by stopping Sudoar I'd be helping you to._

**_Help? Don't make me laugh! I can help myself, stupid child. Now get up and go back before I make you._**

_Then do it. I'll fight you every inch of the way._

The fox sounded exasperated. **_What is it with you, child? Your stubbornness is not amusing! Just stop trying and let's go back to your ungrateful teammates- what was that? Get down!_**

Naruto flattened himself against the sand, causing it to shift noisily. However, it was nothing like the noise that was coming from the other side of the dune they were on. He inched his way over, against the fox's vehement protests, peeped over the side.

There was some thirty figures grouped together, standing silently, in wait. A large, alien shape was forming in front of them, a portal of some sort opening up. A swirling displacement of air was at the heart of it, and from it came out Sudoar's last accomplice, the one called Bioto. Wordlessly, he gestured towards the portal he had made. The thirty or so people walked into it without a word.

_They look like their in a trance... see how they move! Stock still, hands at their sides. It's so strange..._

**_There is a massive chakra disturbance inside their body- to big even for the most powerful form of genjutsu. It's like... a complete transformation._**

A thought struck him. _Do you think they've been hit with Sudoar's Memory Jutsu-_

**_And are carbon copies of his mind, entering the Palace through this portal to defend the top of the tower? Good mind, boy. Of course, that just makes this even more suicidal. _**

They watched as the last of the blank-faced individuals entered the portal. Bioto cast the area a wide berth, and Naruto cringed as he paused on the dune they were hiding behind. However, he must have passed over them, for he entered his portal without disturbance.

_**That's that. We're going.**_

_How can you say that now? Now we know what happens if the Memory Jutsu is completed; mindless, boring zombies. Is that what you want?_

**_I don't care about your stupid race._**

_Well, do you care that this will happen to me with you still inside? Imagine what Sudoar could do with you with you basically under his control. And don't say you'll 'fry me' or 'rip him to shreds.' You know you'll be under his submission as long as you're trapped in a host. Do you want to be a slave to him?_

**_I run my own destiny, boy. Enough-_**

_No, you enough! You may not care about humans, or me, or even what happens to this world, but _I _do. I control what happens to us, and if you're to conceited to help even yourself, then that's fine; that's your reality. But mine is one of being able to fight until the end, whether I die or not!_

**_You're too much like Hashirama Senju... that insolent swine. So dedicated to protecting others that he didn't care what happened to himself. You both must have been dropped on the head as babies. No one else thinks like you two._**

The comparison to the First Hokage filled Naruto with delight, and more determination. He got up on his own, and began to jog again. But instead of feeling tired, he felt energetic, a familiar sensation swooning over him.

_So you're gonna help?_

**_You're as stubborn as he was; there's no way I'm going to change your mind. Which means that I'm probably going to die... but if I do I'm going make as many as you miserable humans as I can with me. Which mainly means this Sudoar fellow._**

_That's the spirit!_

**_Is it? Running to my death really fill me with joy, you know._**

_If we can stop Sudoar, it'll be worth it._

**_Perhaps... well, since I'm apart of this stupid plan now, you better fill me in on the details. Let's start with the plan between you and this Dalto fellow..._**

XXX

**Other**

He peered over one of the dunes, his head just popping out of the time-space portal. He gave himself an emotion pat on the back for having spotted them during his sweep. His eye had spotted the fox's chakra signature almost immediately.

Sudoar would have preferred if he killed the boy and taken the Star then. That was the plan, after all.

_His _plan.

He sank back into the dune, into the realm. All was going well... he would only need to wait for the perfect moment to make his move.

_Then the real plan can begin._


	15. Chapter 15- Declaration of Hopelessness

The city was black, as was the sky. He could not see the anything below, just an abyss of darkness.

**"Owl Eyes Jutsu."**

The power raced up his arm, felt it surging beneath his eye lids. The area before him lit up, so that he could gaze upon the village.

_What miserable and futile lives they live. No purpose._

He gazed down like a god on his judgement day.

Which he technically was, but he tried to step away from that mentality. His intentions we're not for power, he told himself over and over. It was for the benefit of helping these people. These poor, deprived people.

A strange alien sound that he recognized, followed by a torrent of footsteps. Bioto came first, looked around a little, stepped of the way. The test subjects followed. He had used the Memory Jutsu on them first, drawn them in with promises of might. Their greed had been their downfall.

Bioto spoke. "We are all ready. When will you begin?"

He paused in thought, lost in the stars shining above. _To hold the power of a whole Star..._

"When the yellow haired brat returns and we have confirmed it. Then we will drown them in their own despair with our power."

Bioto nodded once, steered the men and women away.

He returned his gaze to he houses below, imagining each person in a world of blissful perfection. _A perfect, unique, utopia of a world! What every man has always wanted... and what every man has dreamed of leading._

He looked back up into the sky, and for the strangest moment he wished another one would fall to the earth, so that he may possess _two _fountains of power...

He shook his head, dismissed the thought. But, almost subconsciously, his eyes returned hungrily towards the stars hanging above...

XXX

**Naruto**

The gates were barred and guarded by various commoner guards and a handful of ninja. The walls themselves were being patrolled by even more armed men and women.

Naruto was with a huddled group of people, all asking for entry. For some reason, access was being denied.

"Get back, _back, _all of you!" A commoner guard was waving his pike fiercely at the assembled crowd, many stumbling back to avoid being poked. "We are not allowing entry into the village for fear of saboteurs coming in to disrupt the town!" He had to yell the last few words, as the crowd had given a roar of disapproval. The guard looked behind him beseechingly, and with a bored sigh, one of the ninja guards exhaled a curtain of flames above their heads, causing the crowd to scream and disperse.

Naruto stood defiantly, as did a few others. The ninja gave them a look and sent another jet of flame at them, and this time only Naruto and one other, cloaked figure was left. The original crowd had drawn away fearfully, and now gazed upon them like angels descending to announce salvation. Many of them wore tattered clothes, poor man's garb. They had obviously trekked for miles trying to reach the Land of Dunes, and now permission was being denied; a wall of resistance to their leap of faith.

"Clear out," said the ninja guard. "Next time I will not aim above your heads."

The man next to Naruto shifted uncomfortably. He obviously did not want his cloak shredded. He slowly edged backwards, face concealed.

**_Boy, look out in the distance._**

Naruto looked, and saw large, tumulus clouds approaching steadily. As if to herald their arrival, a gust of wind blew through them, causing the gate to shudder and groan. The guards held their ground.

_A storm? How will that help?_

**_Those aren't normal storm clouds… they're artificial. I can feel surges of chakra in them._**

_Sudoar?_

**_Your guess is as good as mine. However, there's also a good curtain of mist. We can use the mist as cover to sneak back in._**

_Using our own enemy's jutsu against them, I like that!_

The fox growled with what he assumed was laughter. Their connection was nowhere close understanding each other; indeed, Naruto felt little twinges of sudden desire to murder in him from time to time, followed by him somehow grinding his own flesh. The fox was still dangerous, he was aware of that much.

**_To right, boy. When this over it'll be just like old times. So let's hurry up and either kill or be killed._**

XXX

**Other**

The clouds drew closer, a strange offering from the heavens considering he would be destroying everything it had created. Perhaps it was thankful for the actions he would do, for rebuilding this troubled world.

He liked that idea.

But that chakra signature…

_Juruko… I should have known you would have one last card to play. Even beyond the grave you are a real pain._

"Sudoar, what is going on in the distance?" Bioto's approach, or more of his entering from that strange portal of his, caused him to jump slightly. He grimaced. _Becoming to absorbed in my own thoughts, not paying enough attention to what's going on around._

"It would seem Juruko has activated the Heavenly Thunder Jutsu," he said loftily, not betraying his concern for the approach of the clouds. "It's an ancient, forbidden jutsu from the Land of Lightning, very powerful and definitely a one-shot killer. But without guidance of the caster, I don't know what it will do."

"Should we be concerned?"

He looked over his shoulder. Bioto had rarely spoken in the past, only in moments it was absolutely demanded. And he had _never _exhibited emotion. Perhaps the deaths of the others had finally sparked some sort of fuse in him, to finally open up.

Or perhaps there was something else.

"No need to be worried, I think. The clouds will not get in the way of the Declaration, at any rate. And if they get to close to the tower, I'll simply disperse them. But I think allowing the town to believe _we _cast them is an excellent benefit, fueling their despair. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Agreed. If you'll excuse me, there's something I must attend to."

His departure was as unexpected as his arrival. He nodded his assent, and Bioto was gone in a whirlwind of chakra.

_What is he up to? Does he plan to take the Gauntlet for himself? Or to just stop me? _His fingers closed around the coldness of the white material, the smoothness giving no resistance as he rubbed his hand back and forth across it. _I possess more power than he does, at any rate. If he attempts anything, it will be a shame, but I will have to kill him. Nothing can stop the rebirth of the New World Order. Be it friend or foe._

_No one._

XXX

**Naruto**

The mist descended rapidly while the storm clouds rumbled above. Some guards broke order and huddled beneath hanging roof for shelter against the wet air. The ninja guards were the first to go; when Naruto approached the gate again, only two commoners were present.

As was the hooded man from before.

Naruto dropped down to the floor, snaked his way across the slowly browning earth, until he was scaling the wall.

The guards were talking in amazed tones above him. "It hasn't rained for ages here! It's a miracle!"

"Or something ominous," muttered his companion.

"Oh come on, Travis, when has rain ever been something harmful?" There was a puff and dry cough; one of the guards was smoking a cigar.

"I've heard of things called hurricanes; great, swirling masses of water with wind speeds of over 150 miles an hour, enough to rip apart this town and everyone in it-"

"Stop being such a sad sack and enjoy it! I can't believe the other guards want to go under the roofing; I love this!"

"Let's just make our rounds and have the rain cool us down."

"Ah, alright." Something faintly orange poked into view above him; the edge of the still lit cigar peering over the battlements. Something his eyes would not have normally seen, but with the fox's chakra so plentiful, he could see every little detail.

The sound of their footsteps growing fainter gave him the signal to move. He scaled the wall rapidly, pushing his chakra to his feet so that he was suddenly horizontal, walking calmly up the wall. His chakra control, while already strong, was effortless with the fox present.

He was on the battlements in moments.

"INTRUDER! INTRUDER! GUARDS TO GATEHOUSE!"

Naruto whirled around, alert and distraught. To his surprise, there was no one present.

The yells persisted. "INTRUDER ON THE GATEHOUSE! ASSUMED NINJA, REQUESTING ASSISSTANCE!" The yell suddenly became gargled and sickly, cut short by some unseen source.

Naruto peered through the mist, allowed his chakra to give him a clearer view. The hooded man had also scaled the battlements, and was fighting multiple guards. His hands were glowing blue, and Naruto watched as one of the hands sliced cleanly through one of the steel pikes of the guard. Another ripped through both armor and skin, sending one tumbling over the battlements.

"I can grab my cigar, I had forgotten it, let's help out!" Travis and his companion were returning. Without thinking, Naruto jumped into the village once more, aware he was exposing himself completely, realizing it would have been far less risky to simply kill them for no witnesses. The urge to kill was as present as ever, found himself regretting his choice.

**_I would have made short work of them._**

_They don't have to die. They're only doing their duty._

**_And I'd be doing mine by killing them._**

_Shove off._

He observed as Travis and his companion joined the fight against the hooded assailant. The intruder was being overwhelmed numerically, and Naruto saw two ninja guards rushing to the scene. The hooded man must have noticed this as well, for suddenly he was concealed in a cloud of smoke. The guards plunged their spears into the smoke, but Naruto already knew whoever had been there was long gone.

_I wonder who that was. Maybe a friend of Sudoar's who didn't come in time for Bioto's portal?_

**_Perhaps, but we don't have time to worry about that. We need to rest today, actual rest. Me constantly giving chakra will eventually corrode your body; rather harmful for me. You'll have to sleep._**

_In the middle of all this?_

**_Don't question it. Though it might be wise to alert Captain Dalto of your arrival. This will allow you to get the plan in motion and strike before Sudoar can make his move._**

_Right. _He looked above him, aware that the sun ought to still be shining. The storm had arrived and now hung above the whole town, as if in thought of whether to stop here or not. Some citizens had emerged from their hovels and shanties to point at the sky, praising gods and whispering about the end of times.

A trio of guards sauntered past, and Naruto kept his face hidden. He was unsure what the reaction would be if he was discovered; The Leaf had agreed to leave and return in a few days. His appearance would suggest the Leaf had disobeyed this, had broken this pact. He imagined that would not be good for relations between the two lands.

_Can you track Captain Dalto's chakra?_

**_What chakra? The man is devoid of any talent-_**

_Just do it!_

**_There. _**Naruto felt himself turning East, into the merchant district. He jogged over, ignoring the hushed words of the villagers. The guards were also becoming more numerous; the hooded man was obviously on the loose still.

He arrived without incident, and spotted Dalto within moments. Through his modified eyes, he could indeed see there was not much chakra potential in Dalto; in fact, his arms were thin, almost too thin to even lift the samurai sword he wielded.

Naruto did not recall him having actually pulling it out during Sudoar's attack, only him fleeing with the rest.

_It's not his fault…_

Dalto had spoken of how his whole clan in the Land of Iron was wiped out by vicious bandits during their talk yesterday. He had been the only survivor, rescued by yet another team of bandits. They had tried to teach him how use chakra, and when that failed, a blade. He was twelve when he was abandoned again, having been deemed useless.

Dalto had said he did not want to see everyone around him die again, to stand helplessly by. He had said he wanted to help this time, to save lives. His actions may not have been able to come true alone, but with _Naruto_, this great ninja from the Leaf by his side, he believed they could accomplish his dream.

_A bit of an odd dream, little coincidental that this is all happening too. I guess it was just in the heat of the moment to get me to stay and help. He was right; Dortmuller is a bit of a fool. He _needs _us to fight Sudoar!_

Dalto suddenly saw him, and his mouth split into a grin. "Naruto, let's go, quickly!"

He blinked. "What, right now? What about-"

"Now, now! We don't have time to loaf around anymore, we need to act _now_!"

"No, what's the rush? What's changed?"

Dalto was dragging him towards the Palace, rather aggressively. The crowds of people were thinning as the houses dwindled down; they were quite alone, and Dalto's voice rose with emotion as he pulled him. "The daimyo and Dortmuller are saying they want to rush the tower tonight, we need to take advantage and join them! This is our chance!"

"But my team, I doubt they've arrived yet!"

"To blazes with your team, Naruto! You're the strongest one, you're the one who can win this fight! I believe in you!"

The words sounded artificial, sloppy. It was as if Dalto was giving a half-assed speech, improvised and shaky. He was shivering slightly, as if electrified with emotion. His eyes were glassy, his movements jerky. It was a completely different man.

_He really wants to stop Sudoar… he really doesn't want others to die… this is a man who cares for his village. And I care for mine… I imagine I would be doing the same if Konoha fell under siege._

**_Boy, we need to rest! It's to risky to jump in now!_**

_We have to go in, all or nothing!_

**_BOY, IN FRONT!_**

Naruto stopped dead, throwing himself to the side. There was no need, as Bioto did not make any move to attack. He simply stood in their path, black cloak flapping quietly in the wind.

Dalto was looking at him strangely. He looked in between him and Naruto quizzically, until he finally caught sight of Naruto's necklace, where the Fire Star hung.

"You… you brought it with you?" His voice was neutralized, but it was as if he would explode. What emotion Naruto could not tell, but Naruto felt himself being repulsed by it nonetheless.

Bioto observed them silently, unmoving. Naruto looked upon in detail for the first time, not that there was much to actually see, of course. His entire face was obscured in an obsidian mask, perhaps the same material as Sudoar's, but of even darker color. A single eye slit was all that hinted at actual flesh beneath the mask. However, not even the eye was discernible. Dark hair protruded over the top of the mask, but that was all the human features that protruded.

Inside him, the fox suddenly snarled. **Something... familiar about this chakra. Frighteningly familiar. It's well concealed but I can still sense it...**

_Well what is it then? _This revelation was disturbing, but Naruto had to keep a clear head. This guy's moves where unknown to him. He would have to tread carefully.

**I... cannot decipher it. His chakra control is excellent. But there is something unusual in his head... no, his eyes. Some contained power. Be careful.**

Dalto jumped forward, pulling out his blade. There was no shine, no gleam to it, not in the clouds. It hung in front of him with almost no purpose; Bioto seemed to look at the sword for but a moment, then focused his attention on Naruto again.

_I have to protect the Star... but how can I do that and still attack him?_

"Naruto, give the Star to me." Dalto's hushed voice reached Naruto and sent a wave of surprise through him. "I have a fire technique that can vaporize him, but the Star can augment my chakra to be sure we deal with him here."

He hesitated. The necklace seemed to grow tighter around his neck, as if reluctant to leave.

Bioto began to lift one of his arms.

_It's worth a shot. Any objections?_

**_Something's not right about it..._**

_What?_

The fox did not reply, and Naruto understood that the fox was busy trying to figure out their assailants chakra, to find out who he was. His opinion was going to absent for this.

"Naruto..." Pleading. The sword shook slightly. Naruto remembered the look of pain on Dalto's face when he had recounted his story. The guilt for having been able to do nothing, to watch as those he cared about died around him.

The look of a man who already thought of himself as dead.

He wrenched the necklace from his neck and tossed it to Dalto. The next moment, he had brought in a clone and was infusing his chakra into the familiar shape of the Rasengan in his hand.

Dalto caught it, and a look of pure ecstasy crossed his face. He held it tightly in his hand, and Naruto recognized the face of a man who felt he could finally do something.

"Let's do it, together!"

He ran forward with the Rasengan-

-into suddenly empty air.

A cry, a snarl, a chorus of swears. Thunderstruck, Naruto turned around, the Rasengan dissipating as he did so.

The last thing he saw before he was once more alone was Bioto and the restrained Dalto swirling, swirling, slowly becoming thin and intangible...

The glint of green in Bioto's hand was all he needed to know that he had failed everyone.

XXX

**Kakashi**

They had combed the desert for three hours with no luck in finding him. Sakura's recounting of Naruto's final actions had amounted to the only reasonable conclusion: he had returned back to the Land of Dunes.

He sighed. _Stupid knucklehead is either too brave or too overconfident._

They took off back, somewhat rested. They had found his tracks, followed them as they trekked back through the desert. They confirmed it was in the direction of the Land of Dunes, and scrambled after him.

To his mild confusion, Sakura was not exhibiting the usual anger she would otherwise express towards a "Naruto" move like this. She was calm, focused. Her alertness was on par with his and Sasuke's.

_She's turning into a kunoichi before my very eyes._

And Sasuke...

He had spent two hours training, lighting up the dunes with fire and lightning. Yet he was showing no sign of stress or exhaustion. Something was fueling his strength. He liked to think his words had broken through to the boy, but deep down he knew it was only renewed determination to kill Itachi.

And it was here his thoughts were, thirty yards from the gate back into the village, when Sudoar's face appeared in the sky.

Sakura gasped and Sasuke gave a sharp intake of breath. He blinked, unable to voice his astonishment. Up ahead, he heard the cries of the guards as they scrambled around.

"Friends, shinobi, and countrymen," Sudoar's voice rang out. It echoed above their heads, but also in their ears, as if he was next to them confiding a secret to them. Kakashi assumed that Sudoar was projecting this image to every nation in the world. "Allow me to introduce myself to you all. I am the Savior of the World."

He paused, as if he knew that all around there would be indignant cries and laughter. He continued as Kakashi and his team looked up in shock.

"Yes, please laugh. Allow yourselves to mock the efforts of this one man, this individual. It has all our culture has ever done; insult the different one. That is why you are disgusting creatures who's thinking must finally be eradicated."

_What on earth is he doing? He's not actually going to make his intentions known the world, is he? It's suicide, every nation will send an army to kill him!_

"I have in my possession something almost all of you are unaware of. Only your dear Kage's have knowledge of them. They are called Stars. Each of the Five Great Nations possessed one; now only one evades my grasp. When all five Stars are in my possession, I will unleash the ancient Memory Jutsu upon this world and create the ultimate utopia of peace. Then there will be no mockery; only rejoicing."

_He's insane,_ Kakashi noted, looking closely into Sudoar's eyes. There was definetly something different about them. Almost distant, not concentrated. Yet the words flowed like water down a stream.

"You are perhaps doubting my words, or unsure of what I mean. I am _not _declaring war. I am _not _avenging grievances of the past. I am _not _a man with evil in his heart. Rather, I am changing this pitiful, war-torn society of ours into something _greater._"

He paused again, seemingly lost in thought. "And the final question you may have is _why _I am announcing my plan to you. undoubtedly you fear what I say; we are always afraid of the unknown. You will try to act against me, I am sure. But I am out of your reach; the Jutsu will be activated tomorrow night, faster than any of you can react. I am telling you this, rather than feeling the sweep of perfection, so that you may know it is already over. Despair for your old lives today, then sing about your new ones tomorrow. Say goodbye to the crippling emotions that burden you so... say hello to the Salvation of the World."

Sudoar's face fazed out, leaving the air empty where his face had been. Silence was what he left behind.

And fear. Much fear.

"You don't think he has Naruto already, do you?" Her voice was sullen, blank. "He said tomorrow night... why else would he proclaim the day if he didn't already have him?"

For one of the first time he could ever recall, he found himself at a loss of encouragement. If Sudoar already had Naruto, it was all over. Dortmuller was undoubtedly rallying his men for a daring raid to stop Sudoar, but what then? Sudoar was powerful enough to kill half the village by himself. He took a deep breath, sought reassurance in himself. But he could not even find a memory to stir hope; those had been taken out during his forced amnesia.

"Even if he has Naruto, we can't just give up." Sasuke's firm voice filled the void of hopelessness. "'A ninja endures.' This is just another test of that endurance. We must continue to fight against our struggles. Whether we prevail or not is not the question, rather _how _we prevail is." He swallowed a little, his voice cracking. "I mean... what would Naruto think if he saw us right now?"

"Probably say how stupid we are," Sakura murmered, but life was returning to her voice, that original vigor coming alive again. "If he has been captured, if he is dead, then this is no way to honor his memory. He would want us to fight on; in his name, if nothing else."

He looked upon his students, proud and happy. _Both have finally grown to understand that we are a team. They worked together awkwardly, dysfunctional. But now, I see nothing but one great, moving body, working together to help. This is what the Third Hokage would have wanted to see. I hope he looks on us now with some satisfaction at last._

He looked towards the gate, saw that it was no longer any guards barring the path. A small crowd was pushing against the gate, demanding entry with words and force. The gate creaked a final time, and then suddenly broke, exposing the body of the city, inviting them in.

He put a hand on each of their shoulder. "We're a team, I'm glad two have finally recognized what Naruto did months ago." They both looked away, looking slightly ashamed.

He smiled beneath his mask. "Don't worry; I think now is the time to return the favor."

XXX

**Other**

He canceled the jutsu, and saw the enormous illusion of his face fade away. He exterted a large sum of chakra for that endeavor, but it was well worth it.

_People like these must not only know despair. They must experience something completely hopeless._

He detected Bioto's return this time, was already turned as he appeared into existence. To his amusement, he seemed somewhat agitated.

"What were you doing, something reckless like that? All the nations will be sending troops to attack us now!"

"There is no time for them to react. We have already achieved victory. There is nothing else to worry about. We have won."

Bioto took a deep breath, instantly regained his composure. When he spoke, his voice was calm. "That fool Dortmuller is calling for negotiations. He wishes to speak with you immediately.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Negotiations... do you know what his terms are?"

"No. He simply wishes to abide for time, no doubt."

"Perfect. We will meet with Dortmuller _and _the daimyo and finally crush the resistance out of them. We will show them it is useless to fight us."

Bioto nodded quickly, made to leave again.

"Wait."

Pause. "What?"

"Why are your hands dirty? I thought you were only speaking to Dortmuller."

Flinch. "Perhaps the furniture was dusty."

"Maybe..." He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on his accomplice. Bioto had joined the Black Five out of nowhere, had almost voluntarily stumbled upon the group and joined immediately. He had not been like the others. he possessed something else... and now Sudoar was finally getting a glimpse of it.

Exhale. "Anything else?"

"No. Go back to Dortmuller and tell him we will meet him in the Grand Reception Hall in one hour."

Shoulders relax. "Of course." Gone in a whirlwind.

_He's hiding something... but what? Everything is in place to work. The Salvation is upon this world! Nothing can stop that... and the boy is still coming. When he arrives, this world will be thanking me eternally until their throats grow parched. _

Yes, a world like that would be one worth creating.


	16. Chapter 16- Negotiations

The guards went past for the third time, he began counting the two minutes he would have to slip past. Infiltrating the Palace was easy, and his time in it had allowed him good memorization of the maze it presented.

Getting to the top would be tedious.

He had discarded the cloak for it muffled his peripheral vision. He knew if he was caught it would mean having to silence the witness. Not that he minded killing, but the sooner he got there the quicker.

Sudoar's declaration had brought increased worry. His Lord was undoubtedly also concerned. Time was running out.

He ascended without pause, until the eerie darkness and cobwebs surrounded him. No one had been up here for many years, possibly decades. But he knew at the top it was different.

The air pressure steadily became heavy, breathing difficult. He put in a pill to keep up his strength, one of the many he carried around. He would need his strength for what waited for him.

A large wooden door, ajar.

_Three more pills. _His stomach buzzed with the energy. He stepped inside.

Rather, outside. Cool night air filled his lungs, bitter cold from the altitude. No movement except for him. Alone.

He cursed aloud. _Where could they have gone?_

Calm. Patience. Need to wait. Lord Orochimaru would not accept failure. That's why he had entrusted him with this mission... and of course, the special surprise.

_But where have they gone?_

XXX

**Kakashi**

He and the other four guards walked in perfect formation. Dortmuller and the Daimyo hung behind, where another six guards also walked. Even more uniformed men lined the walls. They all looked queasy and nervous, ninja and commoners alike.

Worst of all, they had no idea what was going on...

On his left, Sasuke gave him a nod. The Transformation Jutsu had given them all the exact appearance of the guards they took down. No one except those with the ability to naturally see through genjutsu would be able to see, unless the Daimyo got even more nervous, which he doubted. The man was sweating profusely, not just from the walk. Something had him incredibly worked up.

On another terrible note, Naruto was still nowhere to be found. They had scaled the town trying to find him, to no success. They had decided to infiltrate the Palace to try and find him there, but it was not long before they were caught up in... well, whatever what was going on.

He prayed it had nothing to do with the boy.

With some surprise, he saw that Captain Dalto was not apart of their attendees. Dortmuller was; his uniform was trim and his face set in stone. He seemed to be very sure of what was going on.

_But we don't know anything._

The halls turned madly, the journey growing long from the Daimyo's suite. They ascended flights of stairs and ramps, past the dining halls, art rooms, bathhouses, and burnt structuring. Eventually, even the number of guards thinned out, just a few stragglers who almost seemed to have dared to come this far.

A pair of old iron doors stood before them at the end of the walk. Two blank faced men stood guarding them. The procession stopped, unsure of what to do.

"You are the Daimyo of the Land of Dunes and the Captain of the Ninja Guard Dortmuller?" Monotone speech, no emotion. And the expression on their faces were stirring something familiar in his mind.

"Yes," Dortmuller said gravely. "Are they inside?"

"We have been waiting, yes. Please come in." They opened the door in perfect unison, and Kakashi narrowed his eyes as he saw who was inside. All around him, there were gasps and uttered oaths. Apparently they had not been the only ones unaware of what was going on.

"Ah, honored to see you Lord Daiymo," Sudoar greeted them warmly, an emotion Kakashi had yet to hear. _I can't stand out to much, though. Team 7 and I are supposed to be long gone. If we're found here it'll ruin whatever the devil is going on here._

The Daimyo did not reply, but breathed out something unintelligible. He did not wait to be seated, but trudged his way over to a waiting chair and creased himself into it.

Dortmuller allowed himself to be guided to his seat, where he sat down calmly and comfortably. A third chair remained empty, making the room almost empty. Before their arrival, only Sudoar, Bioto, and four equally blank-faced guards were present. Their arrival filled up the space a little, but the sheer size of the hall was tremenoud enough to dwarf them regardless.

"Where is Captain Dalto?" Sudoar asked with a frown, looking on the third chair.

"We don't know," Dortmuller replied, his face still stony. "No one could find his location."

Behind Sudoar, Bioto gave the tiniest of shrugs, something no one but Kakashi noticed, and he resolved to believe Bioto was pulling some strings here.

"No matter, no matter," Sudoar said indifferently. "At least we have his _majesty _here."

If the plump daimyo was going to bother replying through his haze of sweat, Dortmuller didn't give a chance. "Allow me to make the call here, Sudoar. We offer you half of the nation's treasury and landmass in return of not activating the Memory Jutsu."

The Daimyo gave an intake of air that might've been a gasp. "Preposterous, where on earth did you get that offer from? That was nowehere near the amount we agreed upon!"

"I lied," Dortmuller said calmly. "I knew you would never agree to the actual amount I had intended, so I gave you a falsified amount."

"Why you- I'll have your position and head once these blasted negotiations are over-"

"There won't be any need for that," Sudoar interjected. He had been looking upon the foundations of the squabble with narrowed and amused eyes, but now he broke in with force. "I am rejecting the offer anyways, so there is no need to deal with young Captain Dortmuller. I potentially hold the whole continent in my grasp, so anything this one nation can offer is useless, for future reference."

Kakashi saw the daimyo blanch. His guards were shifting uneasily under the sudden spell placed on the room. Sudoar's icy voice was acting like a thermometer on chill; the blank-faced men gave no sign they were aware of changes in the atmosphere. Kakashi noted with a chill that their facial expressions were uncharacteristically similar to Sudoar's own.

"There is nothing we can offer?" Dortmuller asked quietly. His expression and demeanor had not changed, but his Sharingan was active beneath the Transformation Jutsu. The young Captain's chakra levels were spiraling out of control; signs of inner turmoil.

"Actually, there is a small matter that you can answer for me."

"Which is?"

"The yellow-haired child from the Leaf Village. I know he is in the village. Give him to me."

Dortmuller leaned back in his seat, confused. "They left a while ago; they would have been back in Konoha at this time. I am afraid you are mistaken." As he said this, Kakashi felt Sasuke and Sakura shift restlessly. He made to scratch his head, when in reality he placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder. He was confident Sasuke would not expose their cover, but even the new, more dedicated Sakura might break under the pressure they were under.

Sudoar remained unfazed. "Bioto saw the boy in the village. That is all there is. Give him to us."

"Even if we give him to you, what do we get?"

A thin, deadly frown. "You don't have him?"

"We were unaware he was even in the village until you mentioned him." Dortmuller's face had gone chalk white, obviously disturbed by Naruto's return. _He's probably thinking Naruto is the cause of this mess now. not a good mindset if we're going to help them._

"But if you find him, you will give him to me?"

_At least neither side knows Naruto's whereabouts, _Kakashi thought with relief. _That means he's still somewhere in the village. We can rescue him and do this together. But we have to intercept him from going after Sudoar alone. If he loses the Fire Star, it's all over._

"Yes, yes!" The daimyo was suddenly exuberated, active. "We will bring you the boy, we will begin searching immediately for his whereabouts! We will have him in moments!"

"It is of no matter. You do not have him now, making this pointless. I was aware you did not have him, though I was curious if you could prove me wrong." He got up, motioned for Bioto and his men to fall in line behind him.

The screeching of the chair on the floor was like the drop of the guillotine.

"No, we will bring you the child!" The daimyo gushed haplessly. "Just wait a moment, we will bring him to you!"

Sudoar paused. "Please, I do not need further attempts to stall for time. I will simply wait for the foolish boy to come to me, and then I will have all that I need." He made to leave again.

"What do you want from us!" Dortmuller suddenly screamed. "You agree to come to the table of diplomacy, yet you already know we have nothing to give you? How can you justify that you seek peace when you disregard it so heinously!?"

Again, the man in black paused, turned his eyes on Dortmuller. He studied him with interest, seemingly drawing in pleasure of his anxiety. "You are Juruko's replacement, I see this. You were probably the best to replace him, I doubt many others would have tried so valiantly to dissuade me in the face of total recreation." He raised his hands to the heavens. "So what if I disregard peace now? I will rebirth the world with a new definition for the word, and this time be able to enforce its meaning!"

"But why even come here then," Dortmuller demanded. "How can you toy with us like this?"

"So that you may understand it is hopeless to resist me," came the cold reply. "That you may understand I only seek to better the world. That you may understand this is simply change, and that change is good. That this is something that will happen, and there is _nothing _you can do to stop it."

"We have the boy!" The Daimyo was positively panicking, waving his short pudgy arms in the air. "We have him right now! We will give him to you right now, just take pause-"

"You are so stupid and bloated that you cannot see giving him Naruto will only speed up our demise?" Dortmuller shouted.

"I would not be so rash as to call it 'demise,' my friend," Sudoar said thoughtfully. "However, I do grow tire of this lump of fat's outbursts." Sudoar raised the Gauntlet and pointed it at the Daimyo. "So pardon me if I recertify the problem now."

Slow motion. Sakura was behind the Daimyo. The Sharingan could see the power being built up in the appendage. _Not good. _He jumped as the words left Sudoar's mouth. **"**

**"Wind Style: Shaft of Twilight Breeze." **

A bolt of wind-infused chakra burst, as large as Kakashi's head, spewed out. It touched the Daimyo's stomach and seemed for a moment unable to break through the bulging flesh. The Daimyo's eyes bugged out of his head, his mouth opened wide. Then the current ripped through him, sending him tumbling out of his chair in a sea of red.

Kakashi felt it graze through his cloak, forced himself to keep the Transformation going. He and Sakura fell to the floor while Sasuke and one other guard also dodged. Two others were not as lucky, and went spiraling away as the wind carried its path. With a loud _crunch, _it hit the wall at the end of the hall, leaving a large crack on impact.

They got up. Sudoar was looking at them with mixed emotions. "Well trained guards you have there," he commented to a shocked Dortmuller. "Normally I would just leave, but it seems more fitting to just kill you all. Better to go down with your Leader, am I right?" He raised the Gauntlet-

**"_CHIDORI!"_**

"What-?"

Bioto reacted quickly, his reflexes causing Kakashi to blink in surprise. _Impossible! Only someone with a Sharingan could counter his speed!_

Yet Sasuke, who had been flying through the air, a nanosecond from impaling Sudoar in the head, was being held by his wrist by Bioto, dangling in the air. The Chidori screeched angrily, but eventually burnt out.

"Now, if it isn't the Uchiha boy," Sudoar said, his voice delighted. "Well, I guess this means the whole team is back!"

Bioto gazed upon Sasuke through his mask, studying him.

_Well, time to act. _He threw all the smokebombs he had, suddenly dousing the room in grey.

He heard Sudoar and Bioto scrambling around. He listened for Sasuke's grunts, found him. He punched Bioto in the face, and though his fist was ringed in pain upon connection to the mask, he heard Bioto snarl in pain and release Sasuke. In another moment, he had managed to guide and push everyone out of the Hall and into the Palace.

_Well... the negotiations were shorter than I thought. Hopefully this battle will be, too._

XXX

**Other**

There was no warning for their return. One moment there was the cool night air, the next Sudoar and his lackey Bioto were back. He tensed his muscles, energetic. he had been waiting an hour.

_Hopefully the pills's effects are still active._

Sudoar froze upon seeing him. "Another problem after the next!" he snarled. "I am sick of these intrusions!"

Kabuto did not allow the words to deter him. _I can find out when he's on the ground, beaten._ He made the hand signs, and suddenly his hands were shimmering blue.

the other narrowed his eyes. "Chakra Scalpel? Let's see..." He closed his eyes, doing what Kabuto didn't know. However, he didn't waste time. He had to catch them now, while they were still befuddled by his appearance. Bioto was gone, Kabuto made note to watch behind him for his Teleportation Jutsu, but he continued running forward. With the pills's effects, the Scalpel would be sharp enough to cut through thin metal. Flesh would be like butter.

"Ah, here we go." Kabuto blinked as he saw Sudoar's hands also glow blue. "I knew it was in here somewhere!"

_What? He's not even a medical ninja! _But it was real, alright; their hands met with a crack, chakra meeting chakra. Kabuto made to slice through the other's leg, but he parried. However, his left leg bent awkwardly, and he fell to the ground. Kabuto made to move forward, but Sudoar rolled on his left leg forward, so that suddenly he was a foot closer. Kabuto blocked the strike to his lungs easily.

_He's clumsy with them; he may know the jutsu itself, but he doesn't know how to use it offensively. All he can do is taijutsu moves; not the actual art behind using the Chakra Scalpel as a weapon. Therefore, I just have to keep pressing forward-_

**"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"**

**"Fire Style: Flame Carpet!"**

Two different voices, one from the man in front and the other above him. There was not much room to move; he was in close quarters still. He jumped back, knowing he was still in range of both attacks.

_I can't believe I'm going to have to use this. Lord Orochimaru said only to use it in case of emergency... well, I suppose this is an emergency. _He looked upon the incoming curtain of flame steadily, already sweating from the heat. From within his cloak, he took out one of the three scrolls he had been given. _I have just a few seconds..._

His sweaty fingers struggled with the scroll, slipped over the releasing bond. _No, I-_

A roar of flame and heat in his ear, he shut his eyes against the hot air-

"You shouldn't have come." He opened his eyes, immediately closed them. Somehow, the flames were going _through _him, and the world was growing dim. But the light of the fire was still strong, he squinted, all the while feeling an unsettling feeling in his stomach as the world grew faint and distorted.

Suddenly, it was coming into focus, but he was not in the same place. It was a weird, odd platform, seemingly suspended nothing. Many others of various shapes and heights were scattered around. Otherwise, the sky - or ceiling, whatever it was- was dark, and the environment empty.

The first thing that caught his eye was the frantically moving but immobile form of the Captain of the Guard, Dalto. He was bound and gagged. The second was the piece of rope in Bioto's hands, produced from nowhere.

"Stop! He activated the Scalpel again, lunged forward.

He was on his knees in an instant, his arm pinned painfully behind his back. He yelled aloud as Bioto put pressure on it, feeling his bones creaking from the pressure. Bioto forced the other arm behind his back, and he felt the rope tighten around his wrists. Unceremoniously, the masked villain tossed him towards Dalto. "Stay-"

A muffled cry left Kabuto's mouth. _No, no, NO._

The scrolls had slipped from within his clothes, resting innocently on the ground. Bioto stepped forward, ignoring Kabuto's cries to stop.

"Interesting. How do they work?"

"Like hell I'll tell you-"

"The Second Hokage's Reanimation Jutsu is well charted. It would not take me long to find out on my own. So tell me now."

Kabuto laughed. "Don't lie; Lord Orochimaru spend years trying to decipher and master the jutsu! Those scrolls don't even work properly-"

He lifted Kabuto up by his throat. "_Don't lie._ Talk or you die now."

Kabuto's eyes widened as he saw the kunai appear. His selfishness to survive won over loyalty. "_Meh, Iko, Tori. _That's the phrase to activate the scrolls. Followed by the caster's name, ending with the reanimated's name."

Bioto released him, and in a flash, was gone.

"So what, I just stay here!?" he shouted. "That's fine, just damn great! You filthy, cowardly bastard!"

His screams, however, went unheard except for himself and the unfortunate Captain Dalto.


	17. Chapter 17- Battle Plans

The apparition in the sky disappeared, leaving it strangely empty, barren.

Silence was abundant.

"That... that was the that S-rank criminal from the Land of Lightning," Shizune finally said. The medical ninja were brought back from their hushed conversation to packing up the equipment.

She rubbed her temple. "Yes, and how on earth did he broadcast to Konoha?"

Her assistant gave a shrug, turned to the medical team. "So the autopsy shows only unusually slow brain processing?"

"That is correct, Madame Shizune," said the medical team leader. "It is a little peculiar, just the cerebrum, which houses the memory, that's been affected. We cannot find anything wrong, but its as if her mind is trying to fix something that isn't there."

"Thank you, you are dismissed." The team left, and Shizune turned back to her leader, who was turned to the window overlooking the village. But instead of gazing down upon it, she was angled upward.

"Do you want me to organize a team of jonin to investigate," she questioned.

The Fifth gave a tired sigh. "Investigate what? There's no way to track the man, or to find out where he is. We will just have to hope it was a message designed to unnerve us, with no real action behind it."

"You can't be serious! A statement like that, especially from someone of his strength-"

"I feel like I've met him," the Fifth interrupted, her voice strained. "But I cant place him at the same time. What's his name, Sudoar Harmira or something along those lines?"

"Yes, do you want me to get teams looking for his whereabouts?"

She nodded. "While you do that, I will speak to the village and calm them down. When you've found information on him, please send a message to the fire daimyo, so that I may speak to him about the matter as well."

XXX

**Naruto**

The smell was at first hard to get along with, but he knew if he left the old merchant's hovel he would have nowhere else to go. He had always dreamt of going off alone, to do a mission by himself, to be the only hero for a change.

He regretted his choice wholeheartedly.

"Why did you return?" the merchant asked again. He had given up trying to shoo Naruto out like before. Now he drank his saki freely in front of him. He had prepared a bowl of ramen for Naruto as well, but it sat untouched in front of him.

"There was no where else for me to go," he replied stoically. "You didn't seem to mind us being here before, so here I am again."

The merchant sniffed, as if offended. "You ate about half my noodles. But now you don't eat any... you are an odd child."

Naruto laughed without emotion. "You could say that I guess. I've just screwed up so badly that I don't really care if you insult me anymore." His eyes drooped back down to the bowl of ramen, and he halfheartedly raised a hand with chopsticks. Like before, he decided against it. Even his appetite was as desolate as he was.

In the streets, the sound of people chanting words of some sort of spiritual rite spilled into the house.

"They are chanting to be preserved," the merchant explained. "The clouds in the sky signal rain; we have not had rain in a century. I have heard many cultures see rain as a sign of good, but we see it as the cleansing waters that will sweep us away." He downed his glass, shuddered, poured himself another. "We are all afraid of what the future holds. Water and faces in the sky? It is the work of a demon, and our survival is questionable. Unlike the others, I do not have hope to live any longer. I will sit in here and drink myself some peace. Yes, a good outcome, don't you think?"

Naruto put his head in his knees, gave an undistinguishable grunt. Sighing, the merchant picked up the ramen and went to his kitchen.

_**You really have blown it boy. It amuses me how you went from vast amounts of hope to an empty well of despair.**_

_Well, there's not much left to do. Sudoar has the Fire Star, meaning there's no way to stop him. He possesses all elemental jutsu, making him the strongest ninja alive, and now he can perform the Memory Jutsu. And it's all my fault._

**_How true. Instead of saving your friends and this pitiful world, you've now condemned them to an eternity of being enslaved to Sudoar. Good job._**

Naruto was silent a moment. _I've just decided to allow Sudoar to go through with his plan. I think you and him have been right all along, really. A world like this, where your friends can die at any time, unable to help them? Where is the honor in living in it. Maybe Sudoar's plan really will benefit us._

The fox's silence stretched for a while, it's shock the first emotion Naruto could saw wasn't negative. The merchant continued to clang away in the kitchen, the only sound until the great beast responded.

_**Do you really think it will be so grand? Sudoar's insane. His ideas are so perverse that the world he has promised will not be the one he creates. His mind has been corrupted by power, just like every human. If you're lucky, you won't be worshipping him as a god, only seeing him as a benevolent dictator.**_

He laughed in his head. _One moment you're saying you don't care, that you would rather live without doing anything, to let Sudoar win. Now you're saying we have to stop him, and that you would rather not live under him? Maybe _you're _the insane one, not him._

The fox snarled, and Naruto envisioned it pouncing against the bars that held it caged inside his body. **You insolent little human. I'm a great, all-powerful wonder of this earth, yet you talk to me in such an ungrateful manner? Do you have no sense of-**

_What's the point if we're all going to enter Sudoar's mind and enter a new world? I think I could trash-talk you all day, you stupid fox._

The fox's response drowned out the sudden anomaly in the hovel, a air being swished around and being displaced. A foot stepped out of the disturbance, then a leg, torso, chest, neck, mask and head. The merchant walked back into the living room to see what was going on, saw the man stepping out of thin air, and fainted.

Naruto saw Bioto step into the corner of his vision, and panic flashed across his face for a moment. Then it was distilled. He forced the fox away out of his mind and waited for Bioto to pull out a kunai, or to burn him away with a fire jutsu.

Instead, he masked villain withdrew the Fire Star from within his cloak, not saying anything. He held it for Naruto to see, then crushed it into fine dust before his eyes.

_Now _Naruto was in a panic, one of confusion and fear. "What- what are you doing?! That's-"

"A well disguised fake," Bioto said hoarsely. "Now give me the real one."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! I gave it to Dalto-"

In one motion Bioto had stepped forward and hoisted Naruto into the air, clutching him by the throat. His windpipe was constricted, he gasped for air.

"I will do the same to your throat if you do not give me the real Fire Star," Bioto murmured into his ear. "Do not think I will hesitate to."

"I don't know where it is!" Naruto gargled, his feet kicking in the air. The corner of his vision was getting black...

The hand tightened even more. "Stop postponing what is to come. _Give it to me!"_

He could not muster a response. All he could see was Bioto's dark, obsidian mask, with the one eyehole seemingly glued to his face. A final burst of air emerged from his lungs, and then he was truly dying, no air left within his body.

A knock on the door. "What is the disturbance in here? Open up!"

The hand released him immediately. and the blonde genin fell to the ground, collapsing, in a small seizure as his lungs greedily took in oxygen.

"Perhaps you don't know where it is after all... or you are the most stubborn and stupidest child I will ever meet," Bioto said coldly. "Either way, heed my warning."

Naruto looked up at the mask, suddenly hating it, wanting to tear it away and claw at the face behind it.

"If you do not bring the Fire Star to the top of the Palace of Dunes by midnight, I will kill Captain Dalto. Yes, there is no need to look so surprised, he is not dead. And not only will _I _kill Captain Dalto, but Sudoar will slaughter the entire village. Forget your friends for a moment and what they would want. It is not them at stake anymore, but every life in this village. You know Sudoar is strong enough to do it. Bring me- _us_- the Fire Star, or my words will become a reality."

Another, more determined knock. "Open up in there!"

Bioto began to dematerialize, his body stepping back into what jutsu he created. "Do not ignore my words, Naruto. Do not be a fool. This is your chance to make amends for the failure you almost committed... do what is right!"

The door began to make _thud _noises as the guards began to force it open with brute force. Naruto looked around for somewhere to hide, knowing that he was not supposed to be in the village, and he did not want to incriminate the merchant. He spotted a low-lying, tucked away table, and went beneath it as the door swung open, the lock flying away with a _chink._

The guards spread out into the room, quickly found the sprawled body of the merchant where he was snoring contentedly. "Saki," one said, amused, and the others laughed. They did not leave, however, and continued to look around the hovel.

**_This would be a good time to tell you that I made you switch the real Fire Star with a fake one._****_There was just no way I was going to let you give it to that insipid Dalto-_**

_Great job in telling me, you overgrown farm animal! he would've killed me if those guards hadn't shown up!_

**_He would not have- he would have searched you, found the Star in your back pocket, and _****then ****_killed you._**

_Oh and that's just so much better! _

The guards eventually decided there was nothing else of interest in the hovel and left, pulling the door shakily closed, leaving Naruto alone with the merchant.

_But you know what's weird? I would have thought Sudoar would have come to do take the Star in the first place, or right now to get it from us. But it's just this Bioto guy every time..._

**_You idiot, Sudoar doesn't have a teleportation Jutsu. _**

_So? I don't think he would care, he can move around just fine. And remember we saw Bioto taking in all those ninja in the Dunes into his portal thing? He can obviously take people around. So why isn't Sudoar doing this himself? Something so personal and important to him?_

_**It's concerning, perhaps you do have a point. But am I to assume this sudden interest means you're back on the case?**_

_Yes. Now I can make up for almost damning the whole world. There's still a chance to win this!_

**_You're still going up against Sudoar and this Bioto fellow alone. It won't be as easy as walking in. Unless you're actually thinking of giving him the Fire Star and allowing him to progress with their plan?_**

_Of course not! I've realized that being so bleak and giving up so early is what made Sudoar's world look so appetizing, that feeling of just wanting to start over. But look what hope does: instead of wanting to start over, it gives us the strength to keep going, continue where we left off, and to fight on!_

The fox mused over this. _**Are you sure you weren't a philosopher in another life?**_

_I'm just determined. _Naruto looked at the clock. _It's 8:30. We better get moving, since I have no idea how to get to the top. _A sudden thought made him grin. _And I think you're going to be wrong on another account- we're _not _doing this alone._

XXX

**Sasuke**

In the War Room, Dortmuller at first shouted at them, in a frenzy, angry and emotionally disturbed. Kakashi's calm, unwavering voice eventually put out the flame of distress, brought things under control. He explained that they did not know where Naruto was, that they had assumed to had returned to the village, and Kakashi unveiled his assumption he and Captain Dalto we're collaborating for some crazy scheme to stop Sudoar.

"Their stupid, both of them," Dortmuller breathed after Kakashi explanation. Sasuke observed the other's face go from red to white, then to a pasty yellow. "If the kid still has the Fire Star and is going up there alone, it'll be over when he confronts Sudoar."

"Agreed. So what's the plan?" Sasuke asked.

Dortmuller looked a little miffed, Sasuke assumed it was because he had never been addressed by a kid before.

At least, not in a war council.

"Well, we can confirm Sudoar has some men of his own up in the Palace," Dortmuller replied, this time speaking to the assembled soldiers. "There are not many known entrances up to the top; luckily, Captain Dalto was an expert on everything to do with the Land of Dunes history, so we have a map to navigate. They will more than likely try to choke us off there. That is where the battle will be."

The commoners and ninja agreed. Sasuke noticed that there were significantly fewer ninja than he had seen before. _They've all fled, I bet. They don't have any loyalty to this land, and now they've made a break for it. Cowards, all of them. What I would love to get my hands on them..._

"However we must take in the possibility that Sudoar will attempt to attack the village itself. We will have to split the guard in half."

_If we get caught up in a battle, we won't make it to the top of the tower by midnight. Sudoar said he would destroy the village if we did not have the Fire Star by then. There just wouldn't be enough time to get to the top._

"Any concerns before we organize?"

"Yes, I have something."

All heads turned toward Sasuke, Kakashi looking at him with pride and Sakura admiration. The faces of the team he had come to enjoy and be with. _And I won't allow Sudoar to take that away._

"I propose a decapitation tactic; Team 7 will take one of the side passages around the choke point and head straight for the top. If we engage in the battle, it'll only slow us down, meaning we won't reach Sudoar in time. If Team 7 goes ahead, we can take out Sudoar ourselves and stop the attack."

Dortmuller nodded, his head bobbing exponentially. "Yes, I like the sound of it. A decapitation tactic will be needed to save the village. With the daimyo dead and Captain Dalto more than likely in the same boat, we have no choice. If we are going to preserve order, then we must also preserve the village. The lives there are the whole point of this action. Family and neighbors in our hands."

The assembled soldiers murmured their assent.

"Then let us waste no more time," Dortmuller called. Squad's A, B, and D will be the attack force. Everyone else will remain in the village to preserve order. We launch at 8:45; one hour!"

He bent over to Sasuke and the others as the room emptied. "I will be joining you on the mission. I want to be the one to finish Sudoar, for all the pain he has caused my village. Do I have your assent?"

Sasuke closed his eyes. His battle with Sudoar in the Wild lands had left him itching for revenge, to put the criminal back in his place. To show him what a true ninja was all about.

"You can come... but we'll kill him together."

Kakashi looked at him with some concern, but he threw it aside. His sensei's opinion of him was weighing less and less with everyday, as he became stronger and stronger. _I'm the one who is growing, not him. I'm going to surpass him; his words will mean nothing then. It will be me that will be listened to then._

Dortmuller smiled thinly. "Normally I would say it's not good for one so young to be burning with the desire to kill. But under these circumstances I'm willing to let it slide." He held out a hand. "We'll do it together."

XXX

**Other**

Sudoar made to observed the line of blank-faced, obedient men and women that stood before him. "Yes, perfect," he whispered. "The first of the many to achieve enlightenment."

The whirling of air announced Bioto's return. He did not turn to face his accomplice, instead addressed him with his back turned. "Well?"

"They plan to do a decapitation attempt on your life, to stop the Dark Star from being formed."

He chuckled. "The actions of the desperate never cease to amuse me. How have they not realized anything they do now if futile?"

"You don't have the Fire Star yet," Bioto cautioned, and Sudoar detected a small note of personal frustration in his voice.

"The boy will be foolish and come to me, I have no doubt. His emotions will get in the way of logic, just like all humans. He will want to protect his friends and try to confront me himself, so that they are not at risk." As he spoke, his voice began to grow harsh, cruel. Above his mask, his eyes narrowed as he gazed upon the man in front of him. The other's expression was beginning to match his own as he spoke. "It's disgusting, how humans have become so weak and determinant upon their own thoughts. The world is in need of change. What the Black Five originally wanted..."

Bioto said nothing, but gazed at him through his one eyehole in the mask.

An idea crept into Sudoar's soiled mind. "Bioto, give me the Reanimation Scrolls. I think we may have a use for them."

"Oh?" He handed them to him. They were icy cold, as if within them was some unknown source of bitter freeze. The knowledge of how to use the Reanimation Jutsu itself as unknown to him; only the Fire Star would possess the knowledge, having been in contact with its creator, the Second Hokage. However, the workings of the scroll would be relatively simple.

He took three individuals from his row of waiting soldiers, stood them each in front of one of the scrolls.

**"Summoning Jutsu!"**

The three figures gave loud, wailing screams, as they suddenly became consumed by a paper-like substance, grey and decaying.

Bioto stepped back in shock.

Sudoar smiled beneath his mask.

"I believe," he said softly as the three figures's familiar faces became clear, "That we have our method of stopping the decapitation team."


	18. Chapter 18- The Undying Wind

**A bit of Sakura perspective because I haven't really been even with the distribution of viewpoint. Also, since I'm here, I'm imagining five-six more chapters, plus a conclusion and maybe an author's note. We'll see.**

**And I know I make typos pretty often, sorry for that. If they really bug you, let me know and I'll try to fix them. Otherwise I'm to lazy to do it. But, back to the story.**

Inside the strange area, where the only company he had was the muffled words and jerkily performed movements of Captain Dalto, moves he could not understand, words he did not care to hear.

Methods of escape were quickly choked away, with his hands tightly bound, and his feet the same.

And then there was the environment itself, a bunch of floating platforms that stretched infinitely. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

Luckily, Bioto had not seen the need to gag him. The masked villain had not even bothered to check on his captives since he had locked Kabuto in here.

No food, no water. The effects were beginning to take it's toll, his chakra returning sluggishly. With mounting frustration, he felt the blood pills and ration pack in the pack on his side. Of course, unable to reach.

Dalto gave another attempt of getting some words out to him, and Kabuto's frustration snaked its way out.

"Would you just shut _up _already? I don't care what you have to say, and I can't even understand what you say. Just be quiet."

A snort, and then Dalto flung himself at him, and was rubbing against his back.

"You pathetic excuse for a warrior, get away from me!"

Something cold, sharp and long. It nicked his flesh easily, drawing blood. He winced, but then he felt the bonds fall away from his wrists. He turned around.

_That fool, Bioto. He really didn't think to take Dalto's sword away? _

He rubbed his wrists, took out Dalto's gag. The other spat vigouresly, getting the taste of the cloth out of his mouth. "Were you really too hateful to realize I was trying to get you to come over here? I've been here for some time, I'm even weaker than you are right now. That final lunge was pretty much all the life I had left."

"My mistake," Kabuto said curtly. "Now, let's find a way out of this hellhole, shall we?"

XXX

**Sakura**

Dortumuller went forward with the map, navigating the corridors diligently. The entire battalion of men and women, around forty warriors plus Team 7, followed behind. Cobwebs and dust littered the halls in abundance. It was clear no one had ever gone this high into the tower.

And the steps weren't that helpful either.

"I fell like we've been walking for hours!" she whispered to Sasuke. "How long has it been since we left the War Room?"

"About fifteen minutes." He was showing no exhaustion, he jogged forward with the look of a blind soldier, eager to rush into battle. His experiences in the Land of Dunes hadn't changed him for worse; if anything, he was bristling with previously unknown power.

_This is the Sasuke that I'm used. Handsome, cool-headed, and determined. As long as the Curse mark doesn't show itself again, I could do this all day..._

Dalto halted ahead of them, in front of a weathered set of mahogany doors. "The Hall of Mirrors," he said aloud. "This is our stop, for lack of better terms. The room, as you might have guessed, is full of mirrors. The thirty-second mirror on the lefthand side contains a secret entrance that Team 7 will utilize to rush ahead to get to Sudoar." He gave a punctuated breath, the assembled soldiers gazed solemnly at him. "This is the time when we must forget our past, as criminals and members of other villages. Those that could not have already fled, left their friends and life behind out of cowardly impulse."

_So he did notice, _she thought to herself. _To say that to his own men is mighty brave. He really cares about them, to let them hear the honest truth._

He continued to speak, and slowly what had been a reclusive, pale-faced army grew inspired and rallied. The three of them stood off to the side, watching Dortmuller's words fuel their energy.

The doors were blasted off their hinges, and one flew hard enough that it decapitated one the soldiers, while the other one smashed itself into the wall. Rushing footsteps came immediately after, from within.

"This is it! For your families, friends, neighbors, and nation!" The miniature army fanned out, spilling out of the now gaping hole where the doors were, and Sakura was confused at the sudden change of events, from speech to bloodshed.

The men inside the hall engaged those entering the Hall. The Dunes's troopers finished their attack, and now steel and steel, sounds of rushing wind and fire, grinding crashes of earth, roaring of water, and everything else she imagined she would never hear on such a large scale.

_I can't believe we're basically witnessing a war. In this era of peace... and here could have been a conflict brimming under our nose. Lee's team could've been here, and then we would never know there was a war going on. I wonder if there could be another battle being fought, somewhere else in the continent... _

"Sakura, let's move!" Kakashi gave her a single shove, and then he was running after Dortmuller and Sasuke, who had ran into the Hall while she was lost.

_I have to stay focused! We have a mission to accomplish! _She went after her sensei, and she finally got to see why the room was called the Hall of Mirrors. They glistening rectangles, circles, squares, triangles, everything, lined the walls impossibly, stretching high into the vaunted ceiling. In them, a hundred Sakura's looked back at her. Her hair was grimy, a darkened pink. Clothes were ripped and stained. she remembered when she had worn the luxurious dress to the daimyo's party, the only time she had been clean on the mission.

_I have to stop thinking like this! I'm a kunoichi, not a fashion expert. I'll leave that to Ino... _The comment on her rival gave her determination; she went forward, ignoring the battle. Team 7 and Dortmuller were standing in front of a medium-sized mirror. Kakashi sensei curled his hand into a fist, then sent it through the mirror. His eyes widened as instead of shattering, his arm went through it. His momentum carried him through, until he went through the "mirror" completely.

"It's alright!" he said a moment later. "It's a genjutsu placed on the mirror; the air is a bit stale but otherwise it's safe."

"Right." Dormtuller went next, casting a last look at his valiant troops. Sasuke beckoned for her to go next, and she entered the portal. It was very cold as she passed through it, but she flung herself through. Kakashi caught her, and she straightened up. They were in a small corridor, with a flight of steps the only exit.

A strong breeze rustled through.

"Strange, there shouldn't be any way to the outside," Dortmuller commented. "The foundation must have weakned for air to leak in somehow."

"That doesn't explain it blowing," Sasuke said as he walked in. "Something is causing an air current."

"The map states that the room above us should be the Ball Room, where the daimyo's of the past had their great gatherings. Perhaps the windows have been left open after all these years."

"Why on earth did you give up on something like a Ball Room?" Sakura questioned. "There can't be any threat in a place like that!"

Dortmuller gave a tight smile. "The daimyo's in the past were nothing like the one you saw. They held real power... they kept us secluded from the Shinobi Wars, and we still grew exponentially. It wasn't until recently that our leaders began to squander our wealth, making us rely on the scum of the world, like Orochimaru and his assistant Kabuto, driving the people into poverty. If we win, I hope to breath life back into our nation, just like our ancestors."

"A good dream to have," Kakashi approved as they ascended the stairs. "The Hokage's of our village have always been fair and just. They've led us to become the most powerful nation in our time. I hope we will be able to the Land of Dunes recover in turn."

The steps ended at a small arc, with no door present. Sakura's eyes widened as she took in the faintly shiny marble pillars that led up the balcony above. The floor, despite having received an ample payment of dust over the years, was still smooth and looked ready to be used. Her eyes caught sight of small metal grates lining the room, where windows would have normally been. _Those look like air conditioner grates, but I doubt they had that sort of technology back then. I wonder what they're for._

Sasuke coughed from the air, and Sakura felt her lungs also constricting. _Well, they're obviously not very active, for the air to be as bad as it is._

"Let's get out of this horrid space," Dortmuller said, though he did not look to disturbed by the malign oxygen. "The map says there should be exits on the balcony."

Suddenly, the arc behind them released a giant, iron slab. The entrance was suddenly clogged by metal. Dortmuller gave a noncommittal shrug. "All the more reason to find the exit, no?"

They nodded, jumped to the next level. The air was even worse, and on the other side Kakashi gave a weak cacophony. _What's going on? These grates should have still been letting in air from whatever source. Oxygen only gets like this if no new air is being funneled in, which doesn't make sense if these are conditioners. What's going on?_

There was a hissing noise from above their heads. Sakura looked up, but Sasuke was the one who understood it first. "The grates, they're activating!"

"Everyone, hold your breath! It might be toxic gas they're pumping in." They all swallowed the foul oxygen, and they looked around for a door, but there was none.

"I don't understand, the exits should be right here!" Dortmuller shouted. He began punching the wall in front of him, to no avail. "God damnit, open up!"

The air was becoming thin, she could feel it, but so was the air in her lungs. Finally, unable to hold it in, she exhaled, immediately inhaled-

-A nice, cool breath of oxygen. She blinked. The muskiness was faintly present, and she could still sense that the air was disappearing.

_This is pure oxygen, not the heavier, condensed and foul oxygen originally present. And there's no new type of air being emitted into the room, no toxins. In fact, it's just sucking out the heavier molecules..._

_Stale, heavier air disappearing first, the oxygen still vanishing, no windows, no technology for an air conditioner-_

"They're not pumping air in, they're pumping it _out_! You guys!" She waved her hands wildly, but they were caught up in their own problems. Dortmuller was not looking to bad, but Sasuke and Kakashi sensei we're looking like they were in danger of passing out.

_I have to find the exit, but how? There's no doors. What ways out could Captain Dalto be talking about?_

She breathed in the slowly vanishing air, trying to calm herself down. _This is my chance to prove I'm valuable to the team. I may not have jutsu, but I can think of a way out of this._

The grates were still greedily sucking up air, time was running short. Dortmuller's confusing banging on the wall was not helping, it was quite solid and unyielding. _But perhaps I can have better luck... _

She smashed her fist into the wall, and she was met with incredible pain as the wall stayed resolute. Her knuckled split with the force, and she felt the vibration of her impact run along the wall, the creaking ceiling, where a patch of dust fell on her-

_Dust? _She looked up, and she saw that her attack on the wall had made a vibration strong enough to crack the rather thin ceiling. Dust from above had leaked through. She jumped up, fist outstretched, and she smashed through it with a large cracking sound. Thin cuts attacked her hand, and she realized she had smashed through some sort of glass.

She blinked at her surroundings, confused for a moment. As far as she could tell, she was practically suspended in midair. It took her a moment to realize that, somehow, the ceiling was a artfully created one-sided glass window.

_So that whoever was above, the daimyo perhaps, could watch as he literally sucked the life out of all the guests he had invited. Probably enemies he had tricked..._

Through it, she could see Kakashi and Sasuke on the ground, having finally exhaled the air inside them. By now, however, the air was running out. They were clawing uselessly, vainly trying to draw in something to breath. Dortmuller was also collapsing, his energy visibly fading away...

"CHA!" She put all her might behind her swing, focusing her chakra into her fist. The ceiling/glass broke and became a rain of harmless, glittering particles. She flipped down to the ballroom floor, landing gracefully amid the destruction she had caused. The oxygen from the room above quickly descended onto them, and her teammates found themselves able to breath, and also coated in glass.

"Sakura, what did you do?" Kakashi sensei muttered, clutching his throat as he breathed in the new air.

"I broke the room's floor above us to let the oxygen up there come in, I just put my mind to work and-"

"And you did a good job, girl. Very impressive, for one so young to have overcome the trap. I would say Kakashi has done a very good job with you."

They were immediately on the alert, on their feet. However, they were unprepared for who was standing to meet them.

"Oh, you're probably wondering what I'm doing here," Drel drawled, looking at their stunned faces with emaciation. "An interesting story, one I don't really understand either. One moment that accursed blonde was hitting me with that chakra ball in the Wild Lands, the next moment I'm here! Very peculiar..."

His conversational tone was throwing them off. "N-Naruto killed you," Sakura finally bit out. "You should be dead, we know you were!"

"Yet here I am. Tasked to kill all of you. However, the blonde isn't with you, which is troublesome. I know he didn't slip through, I would have felt it. Would you be so kind as to tell me where he is?"

"Take a hike," Sasuke said. "Dead or alive, you're time is done. We're leaving."

"If it were that simple, perhaps I would," Drel smiled. His face possessed a few cracks, like his head was made of porcelain. Indeed, his clothing, the black cloak he possessed, was frayed and broken. _Some sort of weird jutsu that's brought him back to life? The only one I can think of is the Second Hokage's Reanimation Jutsu!_

"As it is, I'm still tasked to kill you all. I would have that my Great Vacuum Absorption Jutsu would have done the job, but this girl- Sakura was it?- managed to find a way around it. Impressive."

She could feel movement behind her, Kakashi sensei slowly putting together hand signs. She stepped forward, drawing Drel's attention to her as a distraction. "How are you alive? Was it Sudoar who brought you back? Why do you need Naruto?"

"Now you're coming together as an overly inquisitive little brat again," Drel stated. "Enough talk, time to- what's that?"

She ducked, familiar with the attack formation. It was a recent one, something Naruto would have already forgotten. But the euphony of Kakashi' sensei's Lightning Cutter and Sasuke's Chidori was all she needed to know it was Battle Plan L. Both of them went over her, hand-held chakra just formulating. Their speed was incredible, a mere two seconds before both had hit Drel's arms and ripped them away. The cloaked ninja fell to the ground, mouth open, as the two of them landed beside him.

There was no blood, only strange, gray paperlike strands...

_It is the Second Hokage's Jutsu! That means he'll just be revived again in just a few moments! _Indeed, the stumps on the body seemed to be elongating, and the mouth was forming together into a snarl. "Well, that wasn't very polite!" he said angrily.

She quickly explained to them what was going on. Dortmuller gave an exasperated sigh. "We can't stay and fight a man who can never die! Damn your village and their jutsu; we have to keep going, there's two more hours left!"

"We can't, he'll just tail us and get in the way," Kakashi replied, equally frustrated. He planted another Lightning Cutter into Drel, this time in his chest, ripping it down inside his body so that it severed his left leg. It began to repair itself before their eyes.

_We can't all stay and fight him, then there'd be no time to stop Sudoar. And who knows what might be ahead to slow us down? Its impossible to go on together... But I have knowledge of some of his attacks. I know about the air and a bit about wind natured attacks. I guess..._

"I guess I'll stay and hold him down," she finished aloud, shocking them all, including Drel who was still in limbo on the ground. "I won't be much use against Sudoar anyways, it mine as well be me who stays."

"But you're just a girl, only a genin!" Dortmuller spluttered. "No, we can't allow it!"

"Sakura, he'll kill you," Sasuke said bluntly, but Sakura saw that behind his montone voice, there was a spark of real, honest concern in his eyes. A genuine feeling for her...

"I have the best chance," she repeated. "I know some of his moves and can act accordingly. You three have the better chance of fighting Sudoar not me. This is where I'm meant to be useful. Go."

Dortmuller shook his head. "No, I won't have Konoha blood on my hands-"

"Okay, Sakura. Hold him here. We'll go on ahead." Kakashi's voice was commanding, to the point. He was the authority, not Dortmuller. He looked at the other to show that he meant his words, and the Dunes ninja backed down, though reluctantly. "I have faith in your strength. This is... tough as your teacher, but we have no other choice." His voice seemed to shake a little, as if in internal conflict. "The mission... comes first."

Drel suddenly howled with laughter. "That's _exactly _why you'll fail! All this senseless talk about following orders and putting the mission ahead of your comrades; it's sickening! Just leave the Palace, flee, allow the Memory Jutsu to change your lives for the better-"

"We need to go," Kakashi jutted in. "Let's go." He jumped horizontally onto the wall, applying chakra to his feet. Above him was another door, leading into the next room. Sasuke gave her a final look, then went after him. Dortmuller pressed a kunai into her hands, and she saw it had an explosive tag on it.

"Don't miss," was all he said. He went up after them. The door opened, they entered, were gone, it closed.

"Then there were two," came the voice at her feet. "A brave, even honorable choice, but stupid. You can't beat me, and you especially can't kill me."

"Can it," she said. She held Dortmuller's kunai in her closed fist, looking upon her opponent. The arms were almost fully reformed, the hands halfway completed. The torso and leg were sealing together rapidly as well...

_About thirty-two seconds, and that was with an S-rank and A-rank jutsu attack. All I have are explosive tags... that will be maybe eight second recovery. When I run out of tools, there won't be any chance for me to fight, except with taijutsu. And even that is pretty low..._

"Reconsidering? drawled Drel. "I would to. You know, I took you guys to be something unique, the skills you possess. The blonde boy, Naruto, he possesses an uncanny tolerance for pain and determination. The Uchiha boy is powerful and strategic. And then there's you... the smart one. Figuring out my jutsu and my attacks just from that encounter by the caravan, and now here too! A promising batch of genin that in a year I would have seriously considered a challenge..."

The arms were healed, he was hoisting himself up. She took a teetering step back, blinked. In the center of Drel's chest was a strange, distorted mark. _Where Naruto hit him with the Rasengan... I thought the Second Hokage's jutsu removed all previous injuries. This isn't the exact jutsu, just some sort of replica! That gives me a _bit _of a chance..._

He was struggling to his feet, but his cheeks were bulging. **"Wind Style: Vacuum Cutter Wave!" **She jumped over the displaced air, back flipping onto the balcony behind. _So he inhales the air around him, converts it into chakra, and then releases it into an attack. He can manipulate the air into various forms, I saw that as well. Bullets, this wave, and a big expanding ball... and even though this isn't the actual Reanimation Jutsu, I think its safe to assume his chakra storage has been greatly enhanced._

Drel got to his feet, dusting off his arms. "I was not aware you would be so nimble!" he laughed. "Well, I doubt anyone, no matter how athletic, will be able to keep up the dodging game. Sooner or later you'll get taken down, and when that happens..." He pantomimed a finger going across his throat.

She tucked away the explosive kunai Dortmuller had given her, closed her eyes. _I need to calm down. Think, how to stall him?_

She knew he was preparing another attack, but she was empty of ideas. All she could do was dodge, and eventually he would be right, he would get her. Then it would be over, she would fail, be another dead sakura blossom caught in the breeze...

And in her mind, a torrent of sakura blossoms, all blowing away from a tree, all the flowers dead, rushing, somehow, against the oncoming breeze...

And the tree... was her? But unlike the leaves that had fluttered away, she was standing tall and proud, confident and strong. The wind was no match, could not stop the flowers... they were shedding from her, and new ones were growing on her, giving her strength.

_I can do this. _

"Oh, well, time to die. **Vacuum Wall!"**

_A new shape transformation. _This time, a single, flat wall of pressurized air rushed towards her. It would have the same impact of being crushed by a steel wall, she was sure. _Can't let it hit me, and I still need to buy time for my own technique. _She looked down. _Only way out._

She smashed through the balcony floor, and in the few seconds she had while falling, she withdrew one of the few tokens she had received from a grateful merchant; a small sack filled with sakura blossoms. She stuffed two explosive tags into the bag, loosely closed it, stuffed it into her pouch.

**"Vacuum Bullets!" **Little projectiles, thin and condensed air, raced to meet her. Four punctured her stomach, and she watched as she fell to the ground. Drel gave a crow of triumph, but it turned to dismay as the substitution burst into smoke. "Where are you hiding, girl? You can't escape this room..."

She managed to fill two more bags with three explosive tags. However, the noise attracted his attention. He looked at her hiding behind one of the marble pillars. "Enough games. Your friends still have to die. Why don't you just use that little kunai Captain Dortmuller gave you and end this charade?"

Tying a fifth bag loosely together, she gave a sigh. _Four more to go. I have to keep dodging. _She ran, but this time an attack didn't come in chakra. Drel came flying across the room, blocked her path. He grabbed her by the throat, and she felt her muscles tense up. It was all so quick she did not have time to react.

"End of the line. I admit, your assessment of my attacks was impressive, but I don't have time. The New World is approaching, and I cannot allow any risk to poised to Sudoar's plan." He clenched, felt a muscle snap in her throat, coughed out blood. The pain was intolerable.

The kunai in her hand inched forward... but so did the pressure around her neck. The world was darkening, her opponent's leering face disappearing...

And in her mind, the tree was wilting, _she _was wilting, was turning ashen gray. The new sakura blossoms were dying, just like the last, but this time, no new ones came to replace them. The branches thinned, the flowers died, and the base began to discolor and blur, to warp and become deformed, the air swirling around her,... just like... her?...

_What's happening..._


End file.
